


Tempus Contritum

by UnhallowedDei



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Badass Max, Conspiracy, Dramatic Life Saving, F/F, Minor AmberPriceField - Non-permanent, Power Development, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-07
Updated: 2018-01-11
Packaged: 2019-02-07 17:22:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 132,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12845901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnhallowedDei/pseuds/UnhallowedDei
Summary: Time is Broken. Max made what she thought was the hardest choice of her life, choosing one life over the lives of many. But her actions have had a lasting effect on the timeline, things are not quite as they seem. She must stand strong against a new threat, while looking after the girl she tried to keep safe. If history teaches us anything, it's that one decision can change everything. Max could change the timeline with her powers, but Chloe's life could change so much more. -Spoilers for Before the Storm-





	1. The end of the beginning.

 

"You really thought your powers were a gift to save one life?" The voice said, echoing around her exhausted mind. "That week had been a test, a trial, a training ground. I needed to see you in action, I needed to watch your thought process and... oh how impressive it was. Going into the past to save the future, changing the timeline only to have to go back and try again because you forgot about the tornado. When you realised it's not about how far back you go, but which critical moment you choose to change. Max... it was impressive. But I almost lost you at the end, that girl was willing to sacrifice herself for those people. Had you decided to go back... I would have needed to find somebody else."

"What the fuck are you on about?"  Max said, finally finding her voice to speak.

"Did you ever wonder what would have happened if she died? No storm, a sweet little funeral surrounded by people who could never understand how you felt.  But no powers, they would no longer exist, because you chose to forsake them. How useful is a time traveler who isn't willing to break the rules a little bit and... change time?" The voice was sounding more human, more... male. But she couldn't place where it was coming from.

"Why do I have these powers?"  She demanded, she wanted answers, after all this time.

"They were a gift for a Princess, who could become a Queen. But you're not there yet Max. You have your gallant blue knight, your... partner in time."  The man chuckled, the room around her was coming into focus. The fucking Dark Room, again. She was sick of seeing this place. "No dear, this isn't the dark room.  This is how your pitiful mind is deciding to process the images around you, trying to bring order to the chaos." Mark Jefferson stepped into her line of sight, his smug face inches from hers.

"I don't believe you, this is another fucking nightmare. I am sick of these nightmares! I beat you!" She yelled, struggling against the straps.

"In time... pardon the pun... you will realise the truth." Jefferson knelt down in front of her. "Your current powers are the tip of the iceberg, they go deeper than the surface you've managed to scratch so hesitantly. But time is now working against us, you need to be ready. I can not cause another tornado to temper your resolve, I can not help you further. Change the world Max Caulfield."

"Why me?"  She asked.

"History is decided by the right people in the right place at the right time.  Who says it isn't Chloe?" Jefferson said, taking up his camera.

"What can I do?" She demanded, the image around her slowly fading away.

"Forces are moving against you. Si vis pacem, para bellum."

* * *

 

Max sat up suddenly as she awoke from another one of those nightmares.

Every night since leaving Arcadia Bay she would wake up, drenched in sweat and panting heavily, like she'd just run through the Bay as the tornado ripped it apart. She couldn't sleep without returning to the dark room, she was forcing herself to stay awake half the night by drinking coffee, only to crash out as the dawn broke and she would return to the Dark Room, just the thing she was trying to avoid. Last night had been different, she'd tried to sleep without complaint but instead of dropping back into Jefferon's chair she had been in darkness. Cold, encroaching darkness that had been thick and heavy and blinded her to everything. There had also been a voice, that strange musical voice that had soon solidified into the voice of Mark Jefferson. She couldn't remember everything that it had said, unlike all those other nightmares that taunted her. But there was a phrase that kept playing over in her mind, she didn't know what language it was.

She fell back onto her bed and rolled onto her side, staring out of her open bedroom window at the black sky. A month of nightmares, a month of trying to come to terms with the decision she had made. All those lives lost because she couldn't sacrifice Chloe, because she couldn't let the blue haired punk die in a bathroom, alone, with the belief that nobody cared about her. Joyce, Warren, Alyssa, Frank, Evan... so many people for one life. But she was gone too. A week ago Chloe packed up all her things and left, the moping Max was too much for her to bear and she'd decided to move on and go to LA, to honour Rachel. The only thing she'd left behind was the bullet necklace, a memory for Max to keep.

When she wasn't fighting off sleep she was fighting off tears, she wasn't even eating properly either. She really thought Chloe would be with her forever and without her she felt a hole in her heart that was indescribable.  She closed her eyes and let the tears stream down her face into her pillow, finally allowing the pain and the guilt to manifest into a physical action.

The sun had risen by the time she finally stopped crying, finally stopped hurting long enough to think. A butterfly drifted in through the window and settled on the bedside table, it's beautiful blue wings triggering her memories of the bathroom, of the photo she had decided to rip and throw away. It was another reminder of the girl she had lost because of her own misery. Chloe had been her blue butterfly and she'd lost her.

"Si vis pacem, para bellum." A voice echoed around her emotional mind.

She kicked off the covers, got out of bed and stormed over to her computer, determined to find out just what that sentence meant. She typed it into the search field.

"Latin. If you want peace, prepare for war."  She read aloud, she had no idea why it was on her mind. "Why the fuck do I keep hearing that?" She said, balling her fists as she looked at the results. "What fucking war, what fucking peace?"  She tried not to shout. "What's the fucking point?"  She did yell, throwing the clutter on her desk to the floor. The necklace hit the floor with a dull thud, the three bullets... Chloe's three deaths. "I need you Chloe."  She said, dropping to the floor and grasping at the bullets. "I need you."  She started crying again, oblivious as the door behind her opened and a pair of strong arms embraced her.

"Shh Max. It's okay sweetie."  Her dad said, holding her tight as she wept.

"I need her Dad."  She said again. "I need Chloe."

"Do you know where she's gone?" He asked calmly, holding his crying daughter.

"LA..."  She said between sobs.

"Then you're going to LA too."  He said, squeezing her tight. "I know what that girl means to you Maxine."

"How will I find her?"

"Well... how about we get you a flight, a hotel... and when you land you call her and get her to pick you up?"  Her Dad said with a small laugh. "If she doesn't show up you can get a cab to the hotel, and if she does... you have somewhere to talk."

It was as simple as that. Max had a weak plan to find Chloe. Get the blue haired punk to pick her up at the airport.

* * *

 

She walked through LAX's airport lobby, her phone gripped tightly in her hand looking at Chloe's number, her thumb hovering over the call button. She didn't know why it was so difficult, all she had to do was push the button and she would hear Chloe's voice again. But she was afraid. Afraid the girl wouldn't pick up, or she would pick up and tell her how much she disappointed her. She was afraid of hearing just how guilty she felt. She took a deep breath and pushed the button, placing the phone to her ear as it rang.

Once.

Twice.

"Hello?"  Chloe said, she hadn't looked at the caller ID.

"Hi Chloe." Max said, sitting on one of the benches, her luggage between her knees.

"Max? What's up?" She sounded distant, uncaring. It wasn't quite what she'd been expecting.

"Are you still in LA?"

"Yeah, and I'm not coming back so don't..."

"No, I wasn't going to ask that."  Max cut her off, afraid of an argument over the phone.

"Then what do you want Max?"

"If it's not too much to ask... I'm sitting in LAX and would love a ride."

"Holy shit, you're in LA?"  The surprise was evident in her sweet voice.

"I'm in LA... for you." Max confirmed, patting her leg idly with her free hand.

"For me?"

"Will you come and get me?" She didn't want to have the emotional conversation on the phone either.

"Fuck Max... yeah, yeah I'll be right there." She hung up without another word, leaving Max a little sad. She was honestly hoping for a better conversation than that.

Max picked up her things and walked outside into the midday sun, watching the hustle and bustle of the airport while she waited for the first sign of Chloe's old truck. She wasn't expecting the romantic run into each other's arms or the immediate declaration of love, but she was hoping for something better than what she'd just felt from the phone call. She'd bought new clothes for this day, new jeans, a black shirt with a white raven and a brown jacket, just to look her best for the girl she had sworn to stay beside on that horrible day in Arcadia Bay. She'd also made sure to wear the bullet necklace. She looked up and down the road, expecting to see the dull green of Chloe's truck with the punk at the wheel. She must have been waiting for an hour when she saw the unmistakable blue hair approaching through the crowds.

She stood up to try to look past the ambling crowds, trying to catch another glimpse of the girl she'd just flown almost three hours to see. She caught another glimpse of the blue hair without the beanie, moving quickly in her direction. Then out of the crowd came Chloe, running quickly towards Max, her white vest top billowing behind her. She slammed into Max, wrapping her arms around her in an all encompassing bear hug, lifting the smaller girl into the air.

"Oh my God Max."  Chloe yelled, spinning the girl round and round. "Oh my fucking God you're actually here."

"I said I was."  Max replied, holding on tight to the punk. "Chloe..." She finally put her down, giving Max a chance to look into those brilliant blue eyes. "Chloe..." She wanted to kiss her again, but they'd never spoke about their feelings after Arcadia Bay, Max had never told Chloe just how she felt.

"I've fucking missed you Max." Chloe said first, pulling her into another hug.

"I've missed you too Chloe, so fucking much." Max responded, almost melting into the embrace.

"Have you got a place to stay?" Chloe asked. "I've been living out of motels so you're welcome to join me."

"Dad got me a room at a hotel." Max said, slowly pulling away from the taller girl. "You... could always join me instead?" She smiled weakly.

"That sounds awesome. Let me grab your bags." Chloe said, the warmth in her eyes was putting Max at peace. She didn't expect this meeting to go so well.

"Yeah... sure." Max said awkwardly. Chloe took her bags, and Max was about to start following her when Chloe took hold of Max's hand as well so they could walk together.

"So how've you been?" Chloe asked, leading the way through the crowds the way she had come.

"Uhm... I'm still having nightmares." She admitted quietly. "They're getting weirder."

"Still about Jeffershit and his hell room?" Chloe asked trying to sound tough, but Max could hear the concern. She was still worried about her.

"Yeah."

"We'll talk properly when we get to your hotel, okay? I'd really like to know why you're here." Chloe said, tossing Max's bag into the truck's bed and opening the passenger door for her.

"I told you... I'm here for you." She answered, climbing in without a fuss

When they arrived at the hotel the valet was a little taken aback at the state of the truck he was expected to drive and park. Chloe couldn't help but laugh at the look on his face, eliciting a smile from Max. She'd really missed the girl's laugh, she'd missed everything about her, even the attitude. Max checked in to her room quickly, accepting the keycard and listening to what the establishment had to offer. She thanked the front desk staff and grabbed Chloe's hand once more to lead her towards her room. She hadn't expected the luxury of the suite her parents had paid for, even swore at them for spending so much on their daughter, but she was greatful until she saw the bedroom. It was a king size bed, and there was only one of them.

"There... must be a mistake." Max mumbled, looking for her phone.

"I'll sleep on the couch." Chloe said, dropping their bags by the bedroom door and shrugging. "Can't be any better than the motels I've stayed in lately."

"You're not sleeping on the couch." Max said, looking for her Dad in the contacts list. She clicked the call button.

"I really don't mind." Chloe muttered, looking out of the large windows at the city of LA.

"Hi Dad, I thought you paid for a room so Chloe could stay with me if she picked me up?" Max said. Chloe looked round at the mention of her name.

"That's right sweetie." He answered, she could tell he was smiling on the other end.

"A king size bed? Really?" Max asked.

"You two have been sharing more than just the bed, you think we hadn't noticed the googly eyes over dinner? Make the most of it sweetie, you have a week paid for and then we'd like you both home. One way or the other." He laughed. "Have a good night."

"My Dad... is a dick." Max said, throwing the phone onto the bed, her cheeks bright red.

"Why?" Chloe asked, crossing her arms.

"He... seems to think we're... something." Max said. _Why are my cheeks getting hot?_ She thought.

"Something?" Chloe said, her eyes wide. "Like what?"

Max couldn't find the words, she had no idea how to say what she was thinking. _So Chloe, I know you're still getting over your dead girlfriend who cheated on you with your drug dealer, but I really want to throw you down on this bed and kiss you again._ No way could she say it.

"Come on Max, you've just flown here to... what? Say nothing? Why are you here?"

"After what happened at Arcadia I was just... struggling with it all. And I wasn't exactly the most receptive of best friends. I'm really sorry." Max blurted out.

"That's it? You flew all this way to say that?" Chloe shook her head. "You could have said that over the phone." She went to pick up her bag, but Max's small hands found hers first.

"I... couldn't... " Max took a deep breath. "But I couldn't do this over the phone." She threw caution to the wind, she had to take a chance or she'd lose her again. She did as she'd done in Chloe's bedroom, rising onto her tiptoes to place a kiss on Chloe's lips, hoping she wouldn't pull away disgusted.  It was a strange feeling, she'd expected the punk to pull away but she didn't, Chloe's arm went around Max's waist to keep the kiss engaged. It was almost as though a thousand doubts were cast aside, she was no longer afraid of how she felt about the girl, no longer confused about the feelings. She wasn't wrong, there was nothing wrong with this. Chloe was more than her best friend.

Max lost herself in that moment, so happy she hadn't had to rewind to fix another mistake. She hadn't used those powers in a month, and she wanted to keep it that way. As one of them started to pull away, the other would snatch another kiss, keeping it going for far longer than Max had anticipated. Gradually it became more passionate, a lover's kiss, something Max had never experienced properly before. Chloe was a pro, but she was slow and gentle with the inexperienced brunette. Giving her the time to get used to the sensations. She didn't want the kiss to end, but gradually Chloe was pulling away, leaving soft, loving kisses on Max's lips.

"I have been wanting to do that for weeks." Chloe admitted softly.

Max's mouth opened and closed like a fish, unable to find the words to truly describe how she was feeling at the moment in time. Chloe smiled beautifully, no doubt guessing just how the petite girl was feeling.

"You too?" She asked, gently nuzzling Max's nose, who nodded weakly as Chloe's lips almost touched her own again. "You should have asked."

"I... I..." Max smiled and kissed those wonderful lips again, only reluctantly pulling away to speak. "I didn't know how..." She admitted.

"I meant what I said Max, what I said by the lighthouse. I'm with you, forever." Chloe said, holding her close.

"I never realised... in what way." Max admitted. "I've never..."

"Never felt this way before? Really?" Chloe sounded shocked. "Fucking hell Max..." They wrapped both their arms around each other, their lips close together but not quite touching.

"This is so new to me Chloe, and when you were gone, when you left me in Seattle, it fucking hurt so much. I didn't want to sleep, and I didn't want to stay awake. I just wanted you back." The floodgates were open, her tears were starting to flow freely and her words came with them, emotional and unashamed. She wanted Chloe to know, she needed this girl to know just how much she'd hurt. "You were in my dreams and my nightmares, you were on my mind when I woke up. I was always thinking about you and how I'd fucking lost you, after everything we'd been through I'd fucked it all up and lost you."

"Oh Max." Chloe kissed her cheek affectionately. "You never lost me. I... I didn't know what I could do for you. I didn't know if you still felt the same way or blamed me for what happened. Did you feel like I'd bullied you into saving my life? Were we only friends? I... I didn't know. And when we didn't talk about it again... I could only assume the worst. That you didn't want me, just like Rachel didn't want me in the end."

"No, no. I want you Chloe, when you weren't with me I felt like I had a Chloe-shaped hole in my heart. Only you could fill it." Her lips found Chloe's and they kissed lovingly again, their tears mingling together as they fell. Tears of joy and sadness. It was such a strange feeling, but Max could accept it. She had Chloe back... _And nothing is going to tear us apart again._ She thought.

She had no idea how long they stood in the doorway kissing, but she didn't care to check either. They were whole again, together, and every moment they shared would be special to Max, so when Chloe slowly started to pull away from the kiss Max felt sad that the blunette wanted their moment to end so soon.

"Don't wanna wear you out." Chloe smiled.

"You never could." Max grinned. "Please... don't leave me again?" She asked weakly, lost in those blue eyes framed perfectly by the blue hair.

"I won't. It helps to know how you feel."

"How?" Max said, her lips almost brushing against Chloe's once more.

"Because I can do things like this... and not worry." Chloe's arms tightened around her waist and picked her up off the floor and into the bedroom. Max couldn't help but laugh as the punk dropped her onto the bed and leaned down to kiss her again.

A week ago she couldn't do anything but cry, but after one afternoon with Chloe it was as though she would never be sad again. Despite attempts by both of them to start a conversation they would quickly revert back to kissing, as though they were making up for four weeks that they had missed out on. Though Max realised it was mostly her initiating the kisses, wanting to be close to Chloe in a way she hadn't been before. It was a maddening thought. She quickly suppressed the feeling, she wasn't going to move that fast. She wasn't that kind of person, at least she didn't think she was.

"So what have you been doing for a week?" Max asked tentatively as they lay side by side on the bed, resting on their elbows with their heads on their hands.

"Driving down here, seeing a few of the sights that Rachel and I used to talk about. I still can't believe she's gone."

"I'm sorry." Max said, resting her free hand on Chloe's shoulder.

"After all the shit we went through, I just can't believe it. We should be here together Max." Tears were evident in Chloe's eyes and it crushed Max's heart to see the girl this way.

"If... if I could go back and change anything... or fix anything..." Max couldn't believe she was about to offer this, she didn't want to us those powers anymore. "Would you want me to?"

Chloe looked at her suspiciously for a moment, like she didn't quite know how to answer it. _Am I really offering to break time again for her?_ Max thought, though her heart instantly answered. _Of course you are, idiot, you're in love with this girl. You just wasted a town for her!_

"I couldn't ask you to do that." Chloe answered, gently stroking Max's cheek. "God knows what would change if you did, and... I'd hate for you to lose me. Because I wouldn't remember how I feel right now."

"You're not asking though, I'm offering." Max replied.

"No Max. I don't want you to go back and try to change history. Not when you have no control over how things will play out." Chloe said confidently. "I don't want to lose this." She smiled, placing her hand on Max's and giving the brunette another passionate kiss.

They weren't going to get anything else done today... but really, what needed doing? They were back together, they had their whole lives ahead of them.

* * *

 

"This was not part of our agreement." Sean Prescott protested, he was tired of the Council changing their minds at the last minute. Years of work ruined because of their insistence to allow Mark Jefferson to operate without stricter protocols in place.

"The agreement was void the moment your son became involved." One of the distorted voices responded.

"His involvement was out of my hands when you allowed Mark Jefferson to operate independently." Sean retorted. "My son is now dead because of this fiasco, Arcadia Bay is in ruins. Rachel Amber was murdered, and we needed her alive."

"Because of your son's involvement Prescott." A second distorted voice said, it sounded more female but her could never tell.

"We must hope the Chairman can repair the damage you caused." The first voice said.

"And what am I to do in the meantime?" Sean asked.

"Rebuild. We need Blackwell Academy."

"I'll need the funding, the resources."

"You'll have them, but do not fail us again. Your research into capturing the essence through the arts may continue, but this will be the last time."

"Thank you." Sean said as the call ended. "Stuck up assholes."


	2. Arcadia Again

For the first time in a week Max woke up alongside the blue haired punk she had started to see as more than her friend. She was wearing her shirt from the day before, but her jeans had been discarded at some point in the night. It wasn't the first time she'd slept like this with Chloe, it definitely wouldn't be the last, not if things kept going in the direction they were. Chloe was less concious about her body, having thrown her shirt and jeans onto the floor and slept in her underwear. She had been a real tease about it, asking Max if she was getting enough of an eyeful or whether she should take off her bra too.

It was definitely one of their most memorable nights. They used to pick a side of the bed and stick to it, but last night they cuddled up to one another. Every touch was new and exciting for the young brunette, eliciting a different kind of response she wasn't used to. Now she didn't want to get out of bed, she wanted to let time pass them by while they remained together, but Chloe started to stir, her eyes opening slowly to look into Max's own blue eyes.

"So I wasn't dreaming." Chloe whispered, a sweet smile spreading across her lips. "You really did come to LA."

Max smiled back and nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm here for you."

"And for a minute I thought I'd imagined all of it." Chloe rolled onto her back, the covers being pulled taut across her chest.

"You didn't imagine any of it." Max said, moving a little closer to her, trying to decide whether she could put her head on Chloe's shoulder.

"If you want to cuddle up Caulfield, just do it. I don't bite." Chloe grinned, she knew her too well.

"But sharks eat otters." Max replied playfully.

"I may bite a little, but in all the right places." The grin never left the punk's face as Max cuddled into the girl, wary of her living up to her promise.

"I don't know whether to get in the first bite or keep away from you." Max said, looking at Chloe's exposed neck cheekily. "I do wonder what you'd taste like."

"Take a bite and find out." Chloe smirked, presenting her neck teasingly. "I promise I'll try not to get turned on."

Max couldn't help but laugh at how easy it was for Chloe to talk about her sexual nature.

"Oh come on Max, stop holding me in suspense and do it. Or I'll bite you first and then all bets are off!"

She rolled her eyes but listened to the teasing blunette, first kissing her soft skin, then gently taking a bite, scratching her teeth across the taut texture of Chloe's neck. The punk gave a slight shake, turned her face and quickly kissed Max on the lips.

"I tried." Chloe said, biting her bottom lip. Her blue eyes had a beautiful shine to them, she was feeling turned on and Max knew it.

"Well you're going to have to control those urges." Max smirked. "Because I want you to show me around LA."

Chloe gently pushed Max back onto the bed, tilted her neck teasingly and bit Max's neck just as Max had done. She felt the same shake Chloe must have done and quickly pushed the blunette off, who was laughing. "I told you, I may bite."

"Perv." Max said as the punk threw back the covers and got out of bed.

"Come on then, let's show you the sights. And bring your camera!"

"I don't go anywhere without it."

* * *

 

Five days. Five days of doing nothing but seeing the sights, checking out restaurants, and spending much needed time with Chloe. Max knew she had to plan for the future, that this couldn't last, but she was so grateful to get lost in the moment. But as the sixth day wore on, Max was well aware they had to have a plan after the seventh. They either had to return to Seattle and her parents or have a plan of their own.

"What should we do after LA?" Chloe said that night as they were lying on the king size bed, their bodies turned to one another once more. Max couldn't recall a night they'd fallen asleep any other way.

"I have no idea." Max admitted. "But... anywhere with you is fine." She smiled.

"You're going to trust me with directions? The girl who coudn't get out of Arcadia without a tornado destroying it first?"

"That is a good point. Maybe we should go to Arcadia again? See how reconstruction is coming along?"

"I can check that shit online." Chloe said sadly. "There's no reason for me to go back to that shit hole."

"Oh right..." Max looked away, thinking of poor Joyce.

"Don't start blaming yourself again." Chloe knew just where the girl's dark thoughts were going. "I am alive because of you. I got to see LA because you made a choice that gave me another chance to live." She pulled the girl into her warm embrace.

"I know Chloe." Max said, gently kissing Chloe's collarbone. "And... I'd make the same choice again." _Because I could never be parted from you._ She thought to herself.

"I'm glad to hear you say that." Chloe beamed, kissing the brunette on the forehead. "But we still need a heading oh Masterful Max."

They had no income, no excess cash. Max lay there for a short while, listening to Chloe's heartbeat as she tried to think of a plan from here. _Si vis pacem, para bellum._ That stupid phrase again, she tried to shut it out. They had no choice but to return to Seattle, until they could save enough money to leave again.

"We have to go back to Seattle." She said reluctantly.

"I thought you might say that."

"We'll need money to do anything else."

"Couldn't you just... rewind at an ATM or something?" Chloe said. Max laughed at how rebellious she was.

"I could... but I haven't used my powers in a month. I didn't even try to stop you leaving."

"Seriously?" Chloe asked, leaning back slightly so she could look into her eyes.

"Seriously. I... I hate these powers. And I'd never want to rewind you without your permission." Max said, losing herself once more in those eyes.

"Your powers saved my life though." Chloe said, frowning slightly. "Without them, I'd have died in a bathroom at the worst point in my life."

Max knew what Chloe meant by the comment, they'd discussed once before on their drive to Seattle from Arcadia Bay. Chloe had been trying to help her feel better after her fateful decision, telling her just how she felt in the bathroom at that time and how it would have been a horrible way to die. It had made Max feel a little better she had to admit, but to hear her mention it again brought some shame to how she felt about her powers.

"You need to embrace who you are! You're SuperMax and you're amazing!" Chloe said, her smile reaching her eyes. "I know you're fucking amazing." Her lips brushed against Max's once again, who playfully licked Chloe's upper lip as their kiss became passionate. As the punk started to pull away Max gently bit her bottom lip and grinned. "Oh, look who's getting feisty." Chloe teased.

"Only because you keep... doing that." Max laughed as Chloe grinned seductively.

"Let's travel." Chloe said suddenly. "I don't want to go back to Seattle, I want to travel."

"With what money?" Max asked.

"How much have you got in your savings?" Chloe asked cheekily.

"Not enough."

"How much have you got in your savings if you rewound a bunch of times?"

Max laughed. "Still not enough."

"Wow... you're poor." Chloe teased.

"So are you. How much is left of the Blackwell disability fund?"

"Not enough." Chloe laughed.

"So... back to Seattle..." Max started to say.

"Or rob a bank." Chloe interrupted.

"We're not robbing a bank."

"Then let's go gambling, and you can tell me the outcome. Win win." Chloe wasn't letting it go.

"We're not gambling either." Max tried not to laugh again, Chloe was trying to think of everything.

"Use as many rewinds as it takes to play the stock market! Make us billionaires!"

"That would take a lot of rewinding... and coffee... and more rewinding and... I'd have a nosebleed and passed out at this point." Max shook her head.

"It could still be done right? You'd only be making money based on your own skills?" Chloe smiled.

"And being able to rewind myself into a genius... too much work."

"Well Max... if we can get our cashflow problem sorted, we can do whatever the fuck we want." Chloe said, nuzzling Max's cheek. "Just think, we could stay in bed all day, we could stay in nice hotels, we could go wherever we wanted."

"That would actually be pretty awesome." Max smiled at their physical contact. "How about..." Max was cut off by Chloe's phone which suddenly started ringing.

"Who the fuck...?" Chloe said, leaning over to the bedside cabinet to get her phone. "Hello?" Max watched her curiously. "Hang on a moment." She placed her hand to the receiver. "It's Step-Douche."

"What does he want?"

"No idea, let me put it on speaker." She lay back in bed and pressed a button on the phone. "So what do you want David?" She asked.

"I have some things for you to go through." David Madsen's voice came through the phone, sounding rougher than Max could remember.

"Why?" Chloe said, rolling her eyes.

"They belonged to your Mother. I wanted to know if you want any of it."

"Oh..."

"She also left the house to you in her will. Can we discuss it when you come by?"

"Sure. I'm in LA right now but we're heading back to Seattle soon. We'll come by Arcadia Bay on the way." Chloe said, wiping a tear from her eyes.

"Thank you Chloe. Have a safe trip."

"Yeah... see you soon." Chloe clicked a button and ended the call. Max quickly put her arms around her as the tears started to fall heavier, consoling her hurting best friend.

"Back to Arcadia Bay after all." Max said quietly.

"Yeah... but at least I have whatever's left of the house." Chloe tried to laugh.

* * *

 

The seventh day they decided to use to prepare for their trip north to Arcadia Bay. It was a fifteen hour straight through drive to Portland, which they were not going to try to do. Chloe's truck was still an old clunker and while it could probably manage a few hours just fine, a straight journey would probably kill it. They'd be stranded and in need of rescue. They were sat on the bed looking over a map Chloe had used on her drive south, with a number of motels hastily marked out with a cross, followed by a star to say how bad her experience was there. None of the motels got a good Chloe Rating, as they'd come to call it.

"I could call my Dad?" Max said. "Ask for his advice? He'd understand having to go back to Arcadia."

"We can't keep asking your parents for help Max. We need to be able to do this alone." Chloe said, looking up from their map.

"Until we get that cashflow problem fixed, we're going to need the help." She tried to reason.

"Not if you rewind at ATMs, okay it's only a small bit of cash but we'd have enough to get by." Chloe had a look of annoyance on her face, it made Max feel terrible

"That's still stealing and I told you, I don't want to use my powers."

"No, you told me you don't like them." Chloe retorted. "Are you really going to just sit on your powers and do nothing with them?"

"Well last time they caused a fucking storm that wiped out Arcadia... should I really be using them if that's going to keep happening?"

"What's to say it will keep happening? Try using them, if it starts snowing or birds start dying, you can stop using them." Chloe smirked smugly.

"Warren told me the storm was because of my powers..." Max said, shaking her head.

"So you're going to trust the advice of somebody who hadn't spent the fucking week watching you do all that amazing shit, who may not even know just what he was on about?" Chloe put her hands on her hips, she was digging in for the long fight.

"You are so difficult to say no to. You know that?" Max said, smiling very slightly at the smug punk she had fallen for.

"I know... it's why I'm so awesome." Chloe grinned. "So we gonna do it? ATM rewinding?"

"Fine, we'll do it. But only so we don't starve and have to sleep in your truck. We are not using it for personal gain."

Chloe pounced on Max and hugged her tightly, kissing her cheek firmly. "Knew I could get ya to see my way of thinking." Chloe grinned, kissing her cheek again.

"So... San Francisco first, then Portland... then..."

"Arcadia Bay." Chloe finished her sentence, looking at their map. "I really didn't think I'd be going back so soon."

"Well if the house is yours, and David wants to stay there... you can charge him rent." Max grinned.

"Holy shit, I didn't think of that! All the more reason to go back now!" Chloe laughed.

"So... we have food, we have a small cashflow from ATMs, we know where we're staying. What do we do now?" Max said, looking at the things they'd bought dotted around their hotel room.

"Cuddle?" Chloe smirked. "I'd really like to cuddle my Max while I can."

"Your Max?" Max said, raising an eyebrow.

"I guess we've never really... defined what we are now huh?" Chloe folded up the map carefully, then dropped it onto the top of her bag on the floor.

"Do we have to define us?" Max asked, turning to face Chloe, her legs crossed.

"Well if somebody asks... I'd like to say you're my girlfriend." Chloe said, turning her body in Max's direction.

The statement took Max a little off guard, but she couldn't deny she'd like that too. She gently placed her hand on the side of Chloe's face, looking into those perfect blue eyes. She knew she was smiling, and Chloe was smiling right back at her. "I'd like that." She admitted softly.

"I thought you might..." Chloe said, brushing her lips against Max's teasingly. "Do you want to keep my necklace?" She asked.

"I haven't stopped wearing it in LA, have I?" Max replied, she wished the girl would shut up so she could get one of those wonderful kisses out of her.

"Then it's yours. But one day..." Chloe bit her lip. "I would really like to see you wearing it... and only it." Max blushed, she knew where her girlfriend's mind was going right now.

"Play your cards right, and you might." Max teased back. "But don't rush me, or I'll hold you off to frustrate you further."

"You're bad, Max." Chloe said, finally kissing the brunette lovingly.

* * *

 

What should have been a three day trip to Arcadia Bay turned into a week long journey as the two girls stopped at motels far more than they had intended to. Max blamed Chloe, but the truth was she was missing their long sessions of doing nothing but kissing and insisted on the journey taking as long as possible, just so she could get more time in Chloe's arms. Whenever she asked to stay at another motel Chloe would tell her she had to do the ATM trick to pay for it. It had slowly stopped Max being so resistant to the idea of using her powers to get their money, or using her powers in general.

At first her powers had felt a great distance away, and just rewinding at the first ATM had caused a small nosebleed, but regular use had started to improve her endurance against the stressful effects the powers had on her body. One rewind of a few seconds had turned into a rewind that could last for minutes if she chose. Though they soon found it had its limits. She'd tried rewinding with Chloe and managed to cause both of her nostrils to bleed and almost passed out. That was a day they'd lost in San Francisco because of Max's attempt to do more than her powers would allow.

She refused to try to freeze time, her memories of Kate's attempt to commit suicide a source of pain she still couldn't get past. She also didn't want to lose another day to exhaustion and pain if she could help it. Chloe had asked if she could still use photo jumps, but Max had refused to try, even with a more recent picture they'd taken in LA. She didn't want to risk screwing up the timeline, or cause a tornado by a heavily populated area. She was hesitant to use some of these powers again, afraid of the damage she could do.

In Portland they found a nice hotel, paid for by Max's ATM rewinds, and settled in for their last night before Arcadia Bay. They'd put on a radio to listen to the music and relax, but there was a serious look on Chloe's normally beautiful features. Max lay back on the bed, waiting for the moment Chloe would finally open up.

"We need to make an agreement." Chloe finally said, sitting on the bed with Max.

"What agreement?" Max asked, looking at the punk in her white vest top and blue jeans. _We really need new clothes._ She thought randomly.

"Your rewinds, they're awesome but... I don't want you rewinding me without good reason."

"What would be good reason?" Max asked cautiously.

"If I die, or if I fuck something major up. But... we need to be able to disagree, or be ourselves. I don't want you rewinding us so you can get the result you want." Chloe said carefully. She'd obviously been giving it a lot of thought.

"I've never rewound you without a good reason, I didn't even try when you left me in Seattle." Max said carefully.

"I know Max, and that's why I've given this so much thought. We need to be ourselves together, I don't want to be wondering if I've already said something and you've rewound me so I'll take it back. Or if you're saying something to persuade me... or... fuck this is getting confusing."

Max laughed and took hold of the punk's hands. "I promise you, Chloe Price, I will not rewind you without good cause. I promise we can be ourselves, that we can fight and scream at one another without me taking it back."

"Thank you Max." Chloe smiled, kissing her sweetly. "I... it's been on my mind for a while."

"I figured. You have nothing to worry about from me." Max said, releasing one of her hands to caress her cheek. "I want our relationship to be as normal as possible."

"Now that's what I like to hear." Chloe laughed. A dark shadow passed over the blunette's beautiful features, there was something else on her mind. "Max..." She whispered.

"What's up?"

"When we get to Arcadia Bay... I want to visit Rachel's parents, and visit her grave if she has one." She said quietly. "After everything she and I went through..."

Max quickly put her arms around her and kissed her forehead. "We can do that."

"I really miss her Max. Even now, I miss her." Chloe sobbed gently. It was the worst possible time for 'Gone Away' to start playing on the radio, causing Chloe to break down further. Max tried to get up to turn it off, but Chloe held her tightly, she couldn't let her go.

 _"I reach to the sky and call out your name, oh please let me trade, I would!"_ The lead singer sang. Max couldn't believe their luck.

"I could... try to fix it." Max said, tears in her own eyes now.

"No Max..." Chloe said through the tears.

 _"And it stings, yeah it stings now, the world is so cold now that you've gone away!"_ The song continued.

"Don't... I don't want to lose you too." Chloe said, gripping Max's jacket tightly. "I can't lose you again, I won't risk it. You could end up in the Dark Room."

"I wouldn't allow that." Max said, holding onto Chloe. "I would break time for you, and I would find you again."

"Max... no." Chloe said sternly. "I am not having you go through that for me. So don't ask me again."

Max nodded her understanding and held the girl close as the song finally ended.

* * *

 

The last stretch of the journey to Arcadia Bay was the worst. There was no joking or laughing for the entire journey, Max would once again see the damage she had wrought to the small town even if some of it had been cleaned away in the last five weeks. The Academy looked just as it always did, though scaffolding looked like it surrounded the dormitories and the main building. Its distance from the epicentre of the storm had been its one saving grace, the damage was mostly cosmetic.

When they'd first left Arcadia they knew just how much damage had been done to the town. To say the town had been wiped out would be an exaggeration, the buildings had weathered a fair beating with those near the coast suffering the worst of it. The damage was measured in lives and businesses. It had practically crippled the town and it showed in how few people they saw on the streets. Chloe's home had suffered a fair beating but remained upright, they'd raided it for clothes and supplies before taking off for Seattle. Now it looked no different, though David's car was parked in the driveway unlike the day they'd left.

As soon as the truck doors closed the front door was opened, David looked like his usual self.

"David." Chloe said, walking past the ex-military man with his normal moustache still cut to regulation order.

"Chloe." He responded in kind, stepping back to allow Max in. "Max."

"Hello Mr Madsen." Max said. She would never truly like David, he was an asshole and he'd proven it time and again, but after he saved her from the Dark Room she would always show him a little bit of respect.

"So the house is mine?" Chloe said as soon as she sat at the dining table.

"That's right, your mother left it to you." David said, leaning against the wall. Max sat beside Chloe and held her hand, lacing their fingers together.

"I won't be coming back to Arcadia."

"I didn't think you would, you finally got to leave." David nodded, his eyes glancing at the hand holding on the table before him. "So you're both happy?" He asked.

"We are." Max answered first, squeezing Chloe's hand.

"You can stay in the house David, but I want you to pay rent. Max and I want to travel and we're going to need the money." Chloe said, getting back to the issue.

"That's... acceptable." He sounded reluctant, but he'd agreed. There was no need for a fight.

"What about my Mom's things?"

"I put a load of it in your old room, for you to go through."

"Fine, come on Max." Chloe said, standing up and almost pulling Max along with her.

"It's strange to be back." Max said as they climbed the stairs.

"It won't be for long." Chloe responded, entering her old bedroom with Max close behind. Their CSI: Arcadia board was still against the bed, they'd thrown it aside to get at the wardrobe. The laptop was on its side on the floor, courtesy of Chloe's last rage fit before they'd left. On the bed was a couple of boxes marked 'Joyce's things.'

Chloe cautiously started looking through the items while Max sat on the bed and watched her girlfriend, waiting for the moment her hardass facade broke. Most of the items Chloe was putting back into the boxes, but Max noticed she pocketed her Dad's and Mom's old wedding rings, as well as a couple of the necklaces she'd made or bought for her Mother.

"There's nothing else here." Chloe said, dropping the last thing into the box.

Max stood up and pulled the girl into a warm hug. "I'm so sorry Chloe."

"It's fine Max." Chloe replied, holding the brunette tightly. "This way... she didn't have to lose her husband and daughter."

"I guess you're right." Max said weakly.

"Come on, we have to go see Rachel's parents..." Chloe said, taking Max's hand and pulling her slowly from the room.

They returned to the living room, where David had sat himself at the table waiting for Chloe to come back down.

"Done." Chloe said. "You can get rid of the rest."

"Okay. Thank you." He replied, standing up.

"Do the Amber's still have a home?" Chloe asked.

"What? Oh, yeah. They were pretty lucky too. Although I think his wife was killed in the tornado."

"Oh shit..." Chloe whispered.

"Going to go and pay your respects to Rachel?" He asked, Max thought he saw pity in his eyes.

"Yeah, and see if there's anything of hers I could take with me. A reminder of..."

"I understand."

"Well... make sure you pay your rent and... we won't have to see each other ever again." Chloe smiled, though her eyes betrayed her sorrow for Rachel.

"See you around Chloe." He said as Chloe pulled Max back towards the frontdoor and out into the cool air.

"Thank fuck that's over." Chloe said, letting out a deep breath. "One more stop, then we can get the fuck out of Arcadia Bay. Again."

* * *

 

Sean Prescott paced his study relentlessly, nothing was going right. Restoration of the Bay was taking much longer than he'd have liked. Blackwell Academy would remain closed until the town was back on its feet and in the meantime he was hemorrhaging money. The District Attorney was becoming a major thorn in his side after his son's involvement in the death of the DA's daughter. It had destroyed years of trust between the two men, something he deeply regretted. Having the DA on side was a jewel in his crown.

A sharp knock on the study doors stopped him pacing, he sat down in his leather chair and rearranged his papers, he could not afford to look weak.

"Enter." He commanded. A young woman entered his study apprehensively, her hair tied up in a ponytail like the other female security officers he had hired.

"Mr Prescott, sorry for the intrusion. Doctor's recent reports on the Jane Doe in Portland." The woman said, dropping a file on the desk.

"Thank you, you may go." The woman nodded and quickly left the room., closing the door behind her

He spun the file around and casually opened it to view its contents. There was nothing new in the report, just like the last six. _Not long now._ He thought.


	3. It Never Ends

Chloe didn't bother calling ahead to Mr Amber. They had no idea how he would react to seeing Chloe after all this time, especially when it had been Chloe and Max who had found his daughter's body, though they weren't even sure he knew this. It was dark when they pulled up outside his home, Chloe looked as though she was struggling to release the wheel of the truck so Max put a soothing hand on her shoulder and kissed her cheek softly.

"You can do this." Max said encouragingly.

"I haven't been back here since..." Chloe muttered, looking towards the house she once spent so much time in with Rachel. They both got out of the truck but Chloe had stopped and leaned against it, she looked really nervous. Max took her hand and stayed with her, waiting for the punk to work up the courage in her own time. "I can do this..." She said quietly and started up the path towards the building. They hadn't gone ten paces from the truck when a gunshot split the silence of the night.

"What the fuck?" Max said, they'd both frozen, looking towards Mr Amber's home where they were certain the shot had originated.

"Max..." Chloe started to say, but she was already rushing towards the door. She turned the handle, it was unlocked. She opened the door and crossed into the warm interior of the house, then gasped. In one of the chairs sat a man, a gun in his hand with a hole in his head. Chloe was over the threshold right behind her. "Oh my god! That's Mr Amber!" Chloe said, stepping back into the door frame.

"I'll fix this." Max said, turning to Chloe and kissing her quickly.

"Are you sure?" Chloe asked, looking to her with concern in her eyes.

"I'm sure, maybe we can talk him out of it like Kate."

"Just shout, I'll come running." Chloe said.

Max released her beautiful girlfriend, reached out her hand and began rewinding time around her. Chloe walked backwards through the door and it closed on its own. Then things became weird. A man in a black mask and uniform walked backwards into the room, picked up the weapon from James' hand and the man's limp body came back to life, his head snapping up with his eyes on the barrel of the gun. Max didn't know whether to release the power and listen to the whole conversation or not. She wanted to flee, but to do that she had to release her power. One way or another, she was in the thick of it now. She allowed time to resume.

"You really should have kept your nose out of things that don't concern you Mr Amber." The man in the mask said.

"The man's son killed my daughter, in a bunker he paid for." James said, not yet noticing Max. "It is my responsibility to see justice is done for my daughter."

"Justice was done." The man squared his shoulders, preparing to take the shot Max and Chloe had heard.

"Stop!" Max yelled. The men both looked round at the young brunette who had appeared by the door.

"What the hell?" The masked man said, but James tried to make a grab for the gun. It went off. He stumbled back onto the chair, a bullet hole in his chest.

She rewound, she had to salvage this.

"Justice was done." He squared his shoulders again. This time Max rushed forward, pushing the gun aside. It went off again, but missed James and hit the shelf beside him. The assassin elbowed Max in the cheek, forcing her away. He tried to take aim at James but the DA pushed the gun away and struck the man in the face. Max hit the floor as Chloe rushed through the door, her eyes wide with shock and fear.

The two men wrestled with the gun between them, but Chloe had grabbed one of the statues off the side and advanced on the assassin. She smacked the man across the back of the head as hard as she could and his body went limp. James recovered the gun then looked at the two girls, surprise etched across his face.

"Where did you come from?" He asked Max, then looked to Chloe. "What are you doing here?"

Chloe pulled Max to her feet, checking the girl's injuries and her bleeding nose. "I'm okay." Max said, holding her nose carefully. "Not broken."

"Chloe! Why..." James started to ask again.

"I came to pay my fucking respects, I didn't expect to see you wrestling some madman with my girlfriend on her ass on your floor." Chloe retorted, already losing her temper.

"Thank you for that sudden and unexpected assistance." The man said, checking the pulse of the man they'd knocked out. "But you shouldn't be here."

"We're witnesses to a house invasion." Max said, taking a tissue from Chloe.

"You're in danger if you stay here." He chided.

"Why are they after you?" Chloe asked, looking outside into the night before closing the front door.

"I knew there was something about the Prescotts, the whole incident with my daughter felt wrong so I started investigating. But trying to have a DA killed was not something I ever expected."

"Oh fuck... the fucking Prescotts again." Chloe said, hugging Max gently. Max closed her eyes, she wished she hadn't agreed to come here now. She'd managed to forget how Rachel had died, because it was apart of the Dark Room she regularly visited in her nightmares. Max opened her eyes and looked into Chloe's, they were so beautiful, yet right now so full of pain.

"Chloe, you need to go. I can take care of this but you need to leave Arcadia Bay, again." James said, rushing over to a bookcase and moving a book aside. "This is everything I have." He said, taking out a stack of cash and putting it in Chloe's hand. "Rachel would never forgive me if I didn't try to save you from this."

"Mr Amber..." Max said weakly. "It was us who found Rachel's body."

"I know. David Madsen told me how you both discovered the location of the Dark Room and my daughter." He said quietly. "Chloe..." He opened his mouth to speak, but the words seemed to catch in his throat. "I know how much she meant to you. I hope you can find some peace now."

Chloe opened her mouth to say something, but the man on the floor groaned quietly as though he was coming around.

"Go. Now." James ordered, marching over to the front door and pulling it open.

Max and Chloe got the message, they rushed out of the house and towards the waiting truck. Chloe's hand never left Max's, almost dragging the smaller girl away from the chaos they had just been apart of. Chloe opened the drivers side door and almost pushed Max into the cab, jumping in right after the girl's feet had cleared her seat.

"Where are we going?" Max said, panicked by what they'd just witnessed.

"I don't know... I don't fucking know, but we're getting the fuck out of Arcadia." Chloe replied, passing the stack of cash to Max who put it into her camera bag in the footwell. The engine roared to life and Chloe quickly drove them away from the Amber's house. They had no idea where to go from here.

* * *

 

The first motel they could find outside of Arcadia Bay they pulled over and checked into. Chloe took their bags up to their room while Max got a couple of drinks out of the vending machine. Everything had been going so well, Max had managed to get Chloe back in LA, they'd spent an amazing week traveling up the country but now they were running away from Arcadia Bay again. Running away from something going on back in that shit hole.

"Fuck." Max muttered, resting her head against the vending machine. _Where the fuck do we go from here?_ She thought, feeling the cool touch of the machine spreading to her painful face. She took the cans from the machine, pressing one against her cheek, and followed after Chloe's string of curses from their motel room.

"Fucking assholes, fuck, fuck, fuck!" She yelled, stomping around the room. Max shut the door behind her and collapsed into one of the two chairs by the table. "So killing Rachel wasn't enough... no they're just going to kill her Father as well for standing up for her! Those... fucking... assholes!" Chloe threw her own bag onto the floor and kicked it a few times while Max sat in silence, putting her camera bag on the table and looking into it at the money Mr Amber had given them.

"Chloe..." Max said quietly.

"What?!" Chloe shouted. "Oh... shit... sorry." She said, realising she'd just yelled at Max for no reason.

"There's about five thousand dollars in here." Max answered, leaning away from the bag.

"Five grand?" Chloe said, peering into the bag. "Why the fuck would he give us five grand?"

"To keep us quiet?" Max shrugged.

"Oh fuck..." Chloe started to say again. "Fuck..." She ran her hand into her hair and pulled her beanie off. "What the fuck is going on?"

"I wish I knew." Max said, holding the spare can out to Chloe who took it and sat down opposite Max on the edge of the bed.

"I thought we were done with shit like this." Chloe said, cracking the can open. "I thought... we could finally move on from it all."

"So did I." Max muttered, rolling her can around to try to find another cool spot for her cheek. "But you know what they say, Si vis pacem, para bellum." She said absently.

"Did you just speak fucking latin?" Chloe said, cocking an eyebrow.

Max was confused, she didn't speak latin. "What? No?"

"Yes you did, you just said Sivis Peckum para bellim." Chloe's attempt to say the words made Max laugh a little.

"Si vis pacem, para bellum?" She said, this time hearing what she said.

"That's the one! You said that. What does it mean?"

"I... uhm.. it means; if you want peace, prepare for war." _No way did I just say that outloud, did I?_ _I don't remember saying it, did I just snap back? What the fuck's going on?_

"Apt fucking quote right now." Chloe murmered before taking a sip of her drink.

"I've been hearing it a lot." Max admitted, putting her can on the table and cracking it open.

"Really? Probably just one of those phrases that get stuck in your head."

"It's been stuck in my head since Seattle." Max said, watching Chloe as she took off her jacket and threw it into the empty chair.

"You've been hearing that phrase for a week?" The punk looked at her curiously. "Since before you went to LA?"

"Yeah. I had a nightmare, Dark Room shit, and that line was said. It's the only bit I can remember properly."

Chloe shook her head. "Maybe it's nothing? Just a bad dream?"

"That's what I keep telling myself." Max nodded. She had to get out of this bad mood, they both did, but she didn't know how happy Chloe would be with a distraction right now.

"I'm glad Rachel wasn't here to see her old man get shot." Chloe said absently, throwing her empty can towards the trash bin in the corner.

"He probably wouldn't have been shot if she was still alive."

"That's... harsh." Chloe frowned at Max. "Are you okay?"

"I wanted us to have a life Chloe. I wanted us to find somewhere to settle down and be happy! Instead we're running away from fucking Arcadia Bay again and I have no idea if we're going to get to stop running."

Chloe got up off the bed and gently pulled Max into a hug, careful not to hurt her cheek further. "Chill out Max. It's not like the Prescotts' have much influence outside of Arcadia. We'll hit Portland then go back up north to your parents, okay?"

"We'll go through Seattle, get some of my things." Max took a deep breath. "Then we'll go back down south, as far away from that family as we can get."

"Are you sure about that?" Chloe asked, looking down into Max's eyes.

Max looked back up her girlfriend's body into those blue eyes and smiled weakly. "I'm sure. I want a future with you, away from as much shit as possible."

"You can always have me Max, I won't leave you, never again."

"Do you promise?" Max asked, her hands gently moving up Chloe's legs to her sides, under her shirt.

"I promise, I'm not leaving you."

Max teasingly pushed Chloe's shirt up so she could kiss her stomach. "You better not." She kissed a little higher. "Or I'll have to rewind your ass and remind you."

Chloe laughed. "I think that would count as a good reason."

"Good." Max said, releasing the punk from her grasp. Chloe dropped down onto her knees in front of her, a wide smile on her pretty face.

"We should get to bed. We've got a long drive ahead of us."

"I'd better make the most of our night then." Max whispered, kissing her girlfriend with a passion she didn't know she possessed. Chloe returned the kiss with an equal passion, her hands on either side of Max's face so she couldn't move away from their kiss, not like the brunette had any intention of doing so. From their awkward position on the chair and floor they moved their display of affection to the bed, though Max found herself dominating the punk, straddling her hips to keep the girl pinned to the bed.

After the crazy night they'd had Max wasn't thinking about her actions, she was acting on an impulse she'd never listened to in the past. It was something new, something different and something vitalising. She tugged at Chloe's vest to get it around her chest, then during a brief break in the kiss the punk took the hint and completely removed it for her, allowing Max to get easier access to the girl's collarbone, which she quickly lay loving kisses upon. Chloe's hands found the sides of her shirt, teasingly tugging upwards but going no further despite Max's open intention of stripping the blunette.

She sat up and looked down into Chloe's eyes, the beautiful depths of an ocean looking back at her, a gleam of lust echoing off the surface. Max removed her jacket first, tossing it onto Chloe's. To tease the punk further she only inched her shirt upwards to begin with, then finally removed the fabric entirely. Chloe sat up, her head against Max's chest and kissed softly across the top of her bra. Max ran her hands through the blue hair, gently pulling her head backwards to plant another kiss on her lips.

Breaking the connection, Max looked down into Chloe's loving face, her hair held in her hands. She couldn't think of being anywhere else at this moment, she wanted this more than she could admit to herself.

"Chloe." She whispered.

"Mmm?" The blunette replied.

"What do you want most right now?" She asked softly.

The punk looked into her eyes for a moment, a small smirk on her lips. "You." She answered, and Max could tell just how honest she was being.

"Show me... just how much." Max said, leaping from the cliff in her mind. Chloe ran her fingertips up her back and stopped at the bra clasp, her eyes locked on Max's.

"Are you sure?" Chloe asked, always the caring, concerned beauty she could be when exploring Max's limits.

"I'm sure." Max said kissing her girlfriend again to shut her up. She felt Chloe's fingers release the clasp and the bra came loose. Their kiss grew more intense, she released the blue locks and allowed her bra to fall away from her chest. It didn't take anymore persuading for Chloe to move one of her hands round to Max's chest and explore the brunette's body.

Max let a small moan escape her lips as new sensations rushed forth. They weren't in a posh hotel, or in one of their bedrooms, they were in a motel just outside of Arcadia Bay. But this was the night for Max.

* * *

 

"Mr Prescott!" The female security officer shouted, rushing down the manor steps to meet him.

"What is it?" He asked, closing the car door and proceeding up the steps, forcing the officer to turn around and follow him back up.

"Becker's down. DA has him." She said, following him through the oak doors of his home.

Sean stopped walking, his trench coat whipping round as he rounded on the officer. "How'd he manage that?"

"Observation team report." She handed him a file. "Your eyes only."

He snatched the folder out of her hands and glanced at the report which included a number of pictures.

 _Two young females seen arriving at the Amber household in a beaten up truck._  
_Blue haired girl exits the truck, the second disappeared before we could get a clear visual._  
_Gunshot._  
_First girl ran into the house. Visual lost._  
_Minutes later both girls are observed leaving the residence._  
_We did not see the second girl leave the truck or enter the building._  
_Both females seen leaving the area, heading out of Arcadia Bay._

Sean snapped the file shut and took a deep breath. _At last._ He thought.

"Begin tracking this truck. Observe and report all suspicious activity but do not approach. Am I understood?"

"Yes sir." The woman said, quickly marching out of the manor to relay the orders.

Sean continued to his study, he had to inform the Council of the developments with Mr Amber. He closed the study doors behind him, opened his computer and typed in the encryption key. Then he had to wait, he was always waiting for them. He set his briefcase down on the desk and crossed his arms while he waited for the Council to assemble.

"Prescott, do you know what time it is?" The first distorted voice said.

"I do, we've had an incident." He answered smugly. He kept telling them they shouldn't get on the DA's bad side.

"What is it?" The second said.

"Mr Amber was not eliminated like you planned. He will now be investigating me further because of your actions."

"This is not on us, the Chairman is cleaning up your mess. Maybe..."

"Maybe you should be more aware of your assets in the field." Sean said, cutting them off. He was tired of their patronising shit. "Becker's down, the DA has him now. Two girls were seen leaving the residence. One of them was Chloe Price."

"You're sure?" The first voice asked.

"Blue haired girl, matches her height. Rachel Amber's girlfriend. I'm positive."

"Shit." The second voice said. "Have we identified the second girl?"

"Brunette, shorter, petite build. We haven't got a positive match yet." Sean lied. He knew who the girl was, of course he did, it was his business to know who got into Blackwell Academy.

"We shall inform the Chairman of this incident. You are to remain on task, Mr Prescott."

"As always." Sean said, closing the secure connection. "But I have a traveler to follow."

* * *

 

The following morning Max woke in the loving embrace of Chloe's arms, their bare bodies pressed against one another as a dirty light broke through the brown curtains of the motel, illuminating the room in a dirty brown glow. She couldn't help but smile as memories of the night before came rushing into her mind. Chloe had been so patient, allowing Max to make mistakes without telling her off, teaching her all she needed to know to make their night memorable. It was a wonderful memory, one she would never forget for as long as she lived. She could feel Chloe's fingertips gently running up and down her bare side, no doubt waiting for the brunette to wake up. It was a strange sensation, another new sensation, but it felt soothing. She wiggled her hips into Chloe's and turned her head to smile at her girlfriend.

"Morning." Max whispered, receiving a surprise kiss on the cheek from Chloe.

"Morning sleepy head." Chloe replied, squeezing her side gently.

"I wish we could stay in bed all day again."

"Me too." Chloe pulled Max backwards onto her back and hooked her bare leg over the brunette's and kissed her lips softly. "Just..." She kissed her again. "So I..." Another kiss. "Can do this..." A third kiss. "All day."

"We both know what you really want." Max smirked, running her right hand through Chloe's blue hair.

Chloe's eyes twinkled gently as she rocked her head from side to side. "You got me there."

"Unfortunately..." Max kissed her lover softly. "We have a trip ahead of us, and I really need a shower."

"Go on then... leave me in bed!" Chloe said dramatically. "I may not be naked by the time you get back."

"Oh no, what will I do?" Max grinned, slowly pushing the covers off herself. "Oh... I'll just take your clothes off again."

"...Well played Max." Chloe smiled, watching the brunette's petite body as she got out of bed and gathered her toiletries from her bag.

"You can stop perving now." Max said, picking up some spare clothes as well.

"I'm not perving." Chloe said, feigning a look of shock. "I'm admiring your body."

"Uh huh..." Max couldn't help but smile as she entered the motel bathroom.

It was the quickest shower she'd ever had. The motel didn't exactly have the highest hygeine standards, something they would have noticed if they'd at least looked around the room before settling in for the night. But they couldn't be choosy. Satisfied she was at least clean she jumped out of the cold water, grabbed her things and rushed back into the bedroom.

"That was quick." Chloe said, sitting up in bed slightly to watch the brunette rush past.

"Towel." Max said dithering as she rummaged through her bag. She found what she was looking for and quickly wrapped up in the towel she'd brought along if she went swimming while she was in LA.

"Cold shower?" Chloe laughed.

"And towels I wouldn't trust." Max said, sitting on the end of the bed.

"One star on the Chloe Rating?"

"Not even that." Max laughed.

"I think I'll wait to shower at your parent's house then." Chloe grinned.

"That is an excellent idea."

"That bruise has really come out." Chloe commented, sitting up and allowing the covers to fall away from her chest. Max moved a little closer so she could check it properly.

"How bad is it?" Max asked, she hadn't noticed the pain all night.

"Well your parents are going to ask questions." Chloe placed a soft kiss against the bruise. "We'll have to think up a convincing lie."

"Oh great, the one thing I can't do convincingly." She shook her head.

"We'd better get going, we're burning daylight." Chloe said quietly, resting her forehead against Max's.

"Yeah... I guess." Neither of them moved, they just looked into one another's eyes. When Chloe started to move away Max placed a hand to her cheek and pulled the blunette gently into a loving kiss.

"Max..." The blunette whispered as they parted.

"Chloe..." The brunette whispered back.

"I love you." They both said together.

* * *

 

When they were both dressed they returned the room key and got back into Chloe's beat up truck. It was freezing cold outside. Neither of them had been keeping track of the weather during their week journey, they'd even lost track of the date until she'd checked it on her phone. It was the end of November, there was no way her parents would let them out of their sight over Christmas, but they had to try. Especially if the Prescotts were made aware of their intervention for Mr Amber's life.

The landscape whipped past in a blur as Chloe took them away from Arcadia as quickly as the speed limit would allow. Max had stole her beanie as soon as they got in the truck to keep her ears warm, something the blunette had merely laughed at rather than complain. Max spent the trip watching Chloe, admiring the way the girl flicked her lengthening blue hair out of her eyes or leaned against the door. She had never looked at Chloe in such a way before, they'd been friends for years and when she got back to Arcadia Bay it had been as though their friendship never had a five year gap. But there was something else between them now, something deeper than that friendship they had enjoyed. She wasn't looking at her best friend, she was looking at her lover, her partner in crime, the girl she wanted to spend her life with no matter where it took them.

"You okay?" Chloe asked, glancing at the brunette. "You've been looking at me weird for over an hour."

"I'm good." Max answered, leaning over and kissing her cheek. "Just... admiring the girl I love."

Chloe smiled happily. "I love you too." She said. "Wow... I can't get used to saying that to you."

"But I like to hear it, so don't stop."

"Never." Chloe said, taking the wheel with her left hand so she could hold Max's hand with her right.

Max flicked the radio on and rest her head on Chloe's shoulder, content to relax while they traveled. Max hadn't ever moved around so much in such a short space of time. She'd either lived in Arcadia Bay or Seattle, but in the last week they'd been in LA, San Francisco, Portland, a number of smaller cities between the three, she'd seen so much more of the world in Chloe's company and soon they would see more of it.

"We're here Max." Chloe said, nudging the girl gently in the side. Max opened her eyes slowly, she wasn't aware that she'd fallen asleep.

"I'm sorry." She muttered, rubbing her eyes.

"Don't be, I think I wore you out last night." Chloe laughed. Max heard the truck door open and slid over to get out after Chloe. The punk already had their bags out of the truck when Max closed the door.

"We can't spend too long here." Max murmured. "Or we'll never leave."

"Okay, but if they make us stay for Christmas I won't complain." Chloe said, carrying their bags to the front door which was suddenly flung open and Chloe was embraced in a bear hug by Ryan Caulfield.

"There she is." He said, letting the stunned punk go. "I don't need to tell you to look after my daughter right?"

"Err... No sir, I think I do a good job of looking after Max." Chloe said, trying to smile but making it look more like a toothy grin.

"By leaving without her?" He asked sternly, though Max could see the wrinkles around his eyes, he was trying not to laugh at Chloe's worrying look.

"Leave the poor girl alone." Vanessa said, slapping him on the back. "It must be a really confusing time for them."

"Hi Mom." Max said, waving from behind Chloe.

"Hello sweetie. Move Ryan, let the poor girls in." Vanessa said, pushing the bear of a man aside. Chloe kept the awkward smile on her face as she crossed the threshold, though Ryan quickly took the bags from her and dropped them at the bottom of the stairs.

"There's my girl!" Ryan said, giving Max a similar bear hug to the one he'd given Chloe. "I said a week, it's been two."

"We got lost on the way back, ended up in Arcadia Bay again." Chloe said, following Vanessa into their living room. Max and her dad trailed behind them casually.

"Did you see your Step-Dad?" Vanessa asked, sitting in one of the chairs near the couch.

"Yep. He's fine and living in my house." Chloe said, dropping onto the couch unceremoniously. Max sat on the other side of the couch from her, aware of her parents gaze.

"Your house?" Ryan asked, sitting in the second chair. "Your Mother left it to you?"

"Yeah, so he's renting it from me. Gives me a little income." Chloe looked at Max and placed her hand on the space between them, palm upwards so Max could hold her hand. She didn't refuse the offer, lacing her fingers between Chloe's.

"That's rather nice of you." Vanessa said. "So where will you be staying?"

A look of panic crossed Chloe's face causing Max to giggle slightly.

"She's joking, you're always welcome with us." Ryan grinned at his wife.

"Thank you." Chloe said, relief on her face. Max squeezed her hand gently.

"So I see you two have finally stopped pretending."

"Pretending?" Max said, looking between her parents.

"Sweetie we spent three weeks with you both, so many awkward glances like you wanted to say something, or you were watching each other." Vanessa smiled at them.

"We were young once too, believe it or not." Ryan laughed. "And William always said there was something going on between you two."

"My Dad said that?" Chloe asked, taken aback by the mention of her departed father.

"He was more aware of it than the rest of us." Vanessa said. "We were just glad you were both too young to realise it yet."

"We're just glad you've finally stopped hiding it from each other." Ryan said, unaware of just how far they'd already gone.

Max tried not to laugh, but Chloe was looking at Max, a smile on her face. "I just regret not telling her sooner." Chloe said.

"And I'm very sorry we had to pull the two of you apart for five years." Vanessa said. "It can't have been easy for you Chloe."

"I got through it." Chloe nodded, everybody was looking at her. "I had a good friend, but... she's gone now."

"I think you mentioned Rachel before?"

"She was killed, a few months ago." Chloe said. Max moved over to hold her, she knew how painful those memories were.

"I'm sorry." Ryan said. "We never really talked about this did we?"

"No... I wasn't really in the mood at the time." Chloe smiled weakly. "But having Max... she helps make those memories easier to come to terms with."

"So... how about pizza tonight?" Vanessa said, changing the subject to food.

"Fu... hella yes." Chloe said, quickly controlling her language.

"Sounds good Mom." Max said, trying not to laugh at Chloe. Thankfully Max's bruise hadn't been brought up, but no doubt they would eventually ask about it.

* * *

 

Despite their original intentions to grab whatever they needed and leave, they found themselves relaxing into the comforts of Max's family home. What should have been a few days turned into a week, which turned into the month until they were finally a month into the new year. Max couldn't bring herself to leave her parents when they were so happy to have the girls back, while Chloe made no further mention of leaving again. She seemed to have settled into the same comforts as Max, though they were awesome comforts. Free food, comfortable bed, no urgent matters that needed handling. They'd heard nothing from the Prescotts or Mr Amber, David was paying his rent into Chloe's only bank account on time and without fuss and Max hadn't needed to rewind at an ATM in months.

That didn't mean they'd become complacent. Max was rewinding daily, trying to push her powers further and further. They would lie in bed for an hour in the morning, doing as little as possible so Max didn't rewind a loving moment, then Max would try to rewind to the beginning of the hour. She'd succeeded a few times but always caused her nose to bleed, causing some concern from Chloe who thought she was pushing it too far and would tell her to stop when it became too much. Then the next day she would try again. Slowly she was getting better, but it was always a uphill struggle.

"I wish I could rewind with you." Max muttered one morning after the rewind. "I feel like I'm wasting an hour doing nothing."

"Start reading a book for the hour?" Chloe said, rolling onto her side to look into Max's face. "You'll get something done, and you won't waste time."

"I've read all my books." Max replied. "You know, I've been rewinding an hour a day for forty eight days today. I am now two days older than I should be."

"If that's how it works." Chloe commented, tracing her finger gently up Max's bare stomach to her bra. "Maybe you're rewinding your age too?"

"So it's only my mind that actually travels?"

"I suppose that doesn't explain how you can teleport because of it." Chloe said, leaning in to kiss Max's neck softly.

"I wish somebody would actually explain these fucking powers to me, instead of saying they're a gift for a Princess."

"Who told you that?" Chloe asked, suddenly stopping her kisses and looking at Max's face.

"You call them a gift."

"But I never say they're for a Princess." Chloe gently ran her fingertips across Max's ribs.

"I've heard it somewhere before." Max muttered, looking down her body at Chloe's dancing fingers.

"Maybe where you heard that latin phrase?"

"Maybe..." Max looked over at her girlfriend, who was still under the bed covers, the sheet taut across her bare chest. Chloe never slept with a shirt or bra on anymore, though Max certainly wasn't complaining.

"Don't worry about it." Chloe grinned, once more kissing Max's neck. "And worry about what I'm going to do to you instead."

* * *

 

"No sir. Targets have not moved in two months." The female officer said, standing with her hands clasped behind her back in front of his cluttered study desk. She was due a promotion at this rate.

"Interesting." Sean said, looking at the photos the teams had been sending in regularly.

"Should we move in?"

"No... no it's not time yet." He muttered, looking at the most recent image of Maxine Caulfield and Chloe Price. The punk's hair was once again cut short and dyed blue, while the smaller girl had added a red highlight for Christmas. "Keep watch on them. Make sure nobody else makes a move."

"Yes sir."


	4. A New Woman

Max snapped back to the present and took a deep breath, afraid of what she would open her eyes to. Tentatively she opened one eye at a time to see Chloe's expectant face inches from her own. They were still sat on her bed, in the exact same place as when she'd left. She could not believe she'd allowed Chloe to talk her into this, but they'd done it, a test, an easy test, something she could fix without having to do anything further.

"Well? Are you going to use it or what?" The blunette said.

"I did use it." Max said, putting the selfie back in the box with her other Seattle things.

"You did? Well nothing changed, not that I know of anyway." Chloe grinned. "So you did it?"

"Yes. I wrote down our names and date on a piece of paper and hid it at the bottom of the wardrobe."

"Where we haven't looked yet, right?" Chloe confirmed, getting off the bed and carefully opening Max's wardrobe.

"Right, because if we'd found it, I wouldn't have gone back to hide it there." Max said, lying back on the bed.

"Holy fucking shit Max. It worked!" Chloe said, showing Max the piece of paper with their names and date. "So as long as whatever you do doesn't impact us, the timeline remains the same?"

"Looks like it." Max muttered, she felt a headache coming on.

"This is fucking awesome!" Chloe shouted, jumping back onto the bed and straddling Max. "You could leave us notes, you'd just have to remember to selfie back at some point and... you know... remember to leave them, or your future you would end up in some weird shit."

"Or... we could not fuck with that part of my time powers too much? It's really difficult to think like that without fucking something up." Max looked up into her girlfriend's eyes and smiled weakly. "Seriously Chloe, I don't want to risk fucking something up and losing what we have."

"I understand." Chloe nodded, leaning down to kiss Max's lips. "They'll be our 'oh shit' buttons, a back up to the back up."

"I'll just have to remember to take one after wonderful moments so we don't lose them." Max thought. "Nothing rude though." She said quickly, spotting Chloe's cheeky look.

"I would never suggest such a thing." She said, faking a wounded look. Max bit her girlfriend's bottom lip playfully.

"Liar, I know you'd pocket any pictures like that."

"Guilty." Chloe whispered, gently nuzzling Max's nose. "You wouldn't want me any other way."

"You're right about that." Max smiled, kissing her girlfriend's sweet lips.

They lay on the bed for a while longer, kissing and teasing each other but taking it no further in case her parents knocked on the door. The urge to travel was growing at the back of Max's mind, she wanted to get moving before anything bad could happen again. She felt the longer they stayed with her parents, the more danger they would eventually be in if the Prescotts ever caught up to them. They could go anywhere, but LA was once again at the front of her mind, like Rachel Amber's spirit was leading them back to the place she wanted to be. She wouldn't give in to that desire though, she wanted to go somewhere new.

"Do you still want to travel?" She asked Chloe, gently rolling the blunette onto her back so she could rest her head on her girlfriend's shoulder.

"Oh yeah." Chloe answered, stroking Max's red highlight behind her ear. "I was just waiting for you to give the word."

"You've been waiting for me?" She looked up into Chloe's face.

"Mhm." Chloe smiled at her. "You're worth the wait Max."

"When do you want to leave?"

"Whenever you're ready, I've been living out of my bag for the last two weeks."

"I should have noticed that." Max muttered, wondering what else she'd missed.

"I've been sneaky about it." Chloe grinned. "It's not like I'll make a big thing of it. I wanted you to be ready on your own time, not mine." She kissed Max's forehead sweetly.

"Anywhere you'd like to go?"

"I've seen LA, I've paid my respects to Rachel, let's go east. As far from Arcadia Bay as we can go."

"Chicago?" Max said, picking a city at random.

"Miami!" Chloe said. "Magic City!" She laughed. "It's further than Chicago, and it'll be sunny! And we can laze on the beach and chill!"

"Your truck would never survive that kind of journey." Max grinned.

"You think it would survive another trip to LA instead?"

"Fuck no... that poor thing is on its dying breath."

"You know what we're going to have to do then..."

"If you say rewind, I'll bite you..." Max smirked.

"I was going to say talk to your parents, but if there's a promise of a bite I'm going to have to change my answer." Chloe laughed, gently pulling the brunette on top of her for a kiss.

"You really think they'd help us buy a new truck?" Max asked, lying a little higher on her girlfriend now. "It's not like buying a plane ticket."

"If they don't... then we'll rewind." Chloe grinned as Max gently bit her neck, just as she'd promised.

They spent a couple of hours debating how to best approach the subject with Ryan and Vanessa, Max didn't think her parents would like the idea of their daughter traveling across the country in a battered truck and only Chloe for protection, but she also knew how much her Dad loved her and wanted her to be happy. When her parents returned from work she and Chloe were already dressed and sat on the couch, waiting for them to come home.

"Uh-oh... have you two been into the wine cabinet again?" Vanessa said with a smirk.

"What? No Mom!" Max answered quickly.

"You have that look about you, like you're going to admit something, or ask for something." Ryan said, putting his keys in a bowl by the couch.

"We've... decided what we want to do." Max admitted, looking between her two parents as they sat down in the chairs by the couch.

"Which is?" Her Dad asked, looking to Chloe.

"We'd like to travel, see some sights, get some pictures. Teenage girl stuff." Chloe said. "Before I turn twenty."

"And where would you like to go that your truck won't get you?" Ryan asked, he was a sharp man.

"We think it would probably die before we got to Miami." Max said, shrugging. "She's been through a lot."

"Miami huh?" Vanessa said, joining in the conversation. "Why so far? There's sunny beaches in LA, and it's much closer to home."

"Been there, seen the sights, want something new." Chloe grinned. "Plus LA was more of a... in memory of, for Rachel."

"Oh I see." Vanessa nodded, understanding what Chloe meant. "Why not go to Miami on a small holiday? We can pay for the tickets, you can get a nice hotel for a week or two?"

"We'd like to travel by road, we get to see more that way and I can fill out my portfolio along the way." Max said, she'd rehearsed this part. Butter them up with photography ideas, make them ask less questions.

"So this is a... work experience trip?" Ryan said, winking to Max.

"Yeah!" Chloe said, noticing the wink.

"Tell you what..." Ryan looked to his wife. "Sell your truck, tell us how much you get, and we'll put something towards it. But you'll both own the new vehicle. No leaving each other behind, okay?" He looked meaningfully at Chloe with his last choice of words.

"Sounds great!" Max said, jumping off the sofa to hug her father.

"Come on Max, let's go see how much I can get for my trusty companion." Chloe said, already leaving the room.

"Thank you again Dad" Max said, following after her blue haired punk.

* * *

 

Three days after selling their trusty companion they were stood at the RV lot with Ryan, who had insisted on getting them something reliable that would be more like a home away from home. He hadn't allowed them to talk him into just buying another truck, instead insisting to add far more than Chloe had got for her truck so they could have some real space to themselves. Max kept her jacket wrapped around her tightly as Chloe and her Dad looked at the vehicles.

"Really Mr Caulfield..." Chloe tried to say for the hundredth time.

"Ryan." He corrected her.

"I don't want you spending so much on us. It's not right, it's too much." Chloe continued.

"You'll pay it back to me by looking after my daughter and making sure she becomes the best photographer she can be." He said, opening the door to one of the RV's on the lot, peeking inside and closing the door again.

Max wasn't paying much attention to Chloe trying to persuade her Dad to change his mind, or her Dad trying to persuade Chloe it was fine. They were both equally stubborn, though her Dad had far more years on Chloe's stubbornness. She was actually more interested in a black van parked across the road from them, a van she'd seen multiple times outside their house over the past couple of weeks. She thought it had merely been a coincidence, or a neighbour got a new van, but to see it so close to them now made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. It felt like she was being watched. She tried to shake the feeling and returned to her two squabbling companions.

"Really, Ryan, I don't want you spending so much on us." Chloe protested again.

"I'm spending it on my daughter, for her future, I'm sure you'll understand." He answered, there was no hostility in his voice. His mind had been made up when he offered to do this back in the living room.

"Chloe... you're arguing with a wall." Max whispered, lacing her fingers between Chloe's again. "He won't change his mind, so just nod, smile and accept that he needs to be right for his Dadly ego."

"But he's going to spend too much on us." Chloe whispered back.

"I'll make sure to pay him back later." Max smiled and kissed her girlfriend's cheek. "Relax."

"Easy for you to say." Chloe mumbled as a salesman approached them.

"You're up." Max nudged her forward, releasing her hand.

"You're helping." Chloe hissed over her shoulder.

"I'm.. going to check something out. Just make sure we get a good one!" Max said, turning to walk into the cluster of vehicles and feigning interest. She carefully wound her way through the vehicles, keeping her eye on the black van across the road. Getting closer to it was her goal, she wanted to know if they were being watched and by who. Plans started forming in her head, a route she could take towards the van, when to rewind, how long for, when to release the power. She couldn't go back too far and scare Chloe. Looking around the lot she looked for something specific to time herself on, she couldn't use her watch once she rewound, it would be useless. Just as she was about to put her plan into action she heard Chloe shout her name and appear between the vehicles.

"Max! Come on! We need your final approval." Chloe shouted.

"Alright, coming." She called back, giving up on her plan for now. If they really were being followed she would get another chance, there was no doubt about it. She returned to her waiting girlfriend and took her hand gratefully.

"What were you doing?" Chloe asked as they walked back across the lot to Max's Dad.

"Just looking, you know I don't really have an eye for vehicles."

"That's true, you have an eye for models and moments." Chloe said with a smile. "Oh, I'll have to be your model for a bit won't I?"

"Too right! I need the practice." Max smirked. "So you're my bodyguard and model."

"And your driver." Chloe added.

"And my girlfriend." She kissed her cheek sweetly.

"Okay, I can agree to that."

"So what do you think?" Ryan asked as the two girls approached. Max stepped inside and looked around carefully. It was a lot better than Frank's RV in Arcadia Bay, though that was probably down to a lack of drugs, beans and mess. It was slightly bigger than Frank's RV too, no doubt a decision on her Dad's part to give them as much comfort as possible. Chloe was just behind her, probably watching her reactions. She looked into the bedroom at the back, turned to Chloe and smiled happily. It would need a lot of Chloe and Max personalisation, but it could definitely work for them.

"Go for it." Max nodded, hugging her girlfriend happily.

"There you go." Ryan said, turning to the salesman. "Woman's seal of approval, I can be happy with that."

While Ryan worked out the paperwork inside the small cabin on the lot, Chloe and Max sat in what was about to become their new home away from home. They were looking in all the cupboards, talking about where they could store their things, which wouldn't be difficult considering they'd lived out of a few bags in the back of Chloe's truck for a week. When Ryan appeared at the door with the keys, he threw them straight to Chloe who gave a shout and hugged Max's dad tightly.

"Thank you Ryan." She said as he gently pulled the girl off him, only to be hugged by Max.

"Alright... we have more than enough time for emotions back home." He said as he gave his daughter a hug. "Chloe, can you handle this beast?" He asked once Max finally let him go.

"Of course I can, I'm going to have to drive it across the states." She said, grinning from ear to ear as she sat behind the wheel.

"God help the other drivers." Ryan muttered. "I'll follow you home, pull into a gas station on the way back and no running any red lights or I'll give Max the keys!" He shouted, closing the door behind him.

"And I'd give them straight back to you." Max said, sitting in the chair beside Chloe. "Ooooh, so comfy." She grinned.

"I know! I could sit here forever..."

"But then you couldn't take me in the back." Max whispered seductively into her ear.

"That's okay, you can sit on my lap." Chloe retorted, sticking her tongue out playfully.

Once they were off the lot Chloe was more than confident behind the wheel. It wasn't the open road yet, but she had time to get used to the RV and its size compared to her small truck. Max remained buckled up in the passenger seat, waiting for the moment they got home so they could relocate all of their things into their new home. It was strange to think she'd be leaving home soon, only to already be in another home with Chloe. They were technically moving in together and they'd only been together three months. _But this is Chloe._ She thought. _I've known her for years, she's like... my soulmate._ She smiled at the word, it felt like it explained some parts of their relationship and why it had moved so fast without feeling weird.

"We still going to use your rewinds when we need it?" Chloe asked as they pulled up to Max's old home.

"Of course, I'm not about to let us starve." Max replied, unbuckling the belt and turning the chair to Chloe. "Oh my god... I love this RV."

"So really... why did you wander off in the lot?" Chloe pulled her foot up onto her seat and rest her chin on her knee. "And don't try to lie to me, I know you remember?"

"Oh... that..." Max sighed and looked out the front windshield at her Dad who was busy talking to her Mom on the doorstep. "I've seen a black van outside the house for the last couple of weeks."

"I know the one." Chloe nodded.

"I thought I saw it at the RV lot, across the road."

"Sure it was the same one?" Chloe asked. "There are a lot of black vans in the world."

"I wasn't sure. I was going to check it out when you yelled for me."

"You think it has something to do with the Prescotts, don't you?" Chloe was right, she did know Max.

"Something about that whole thing has me on edge. Why would they try to silence Mr Amber from finding out the truth about his daughter? She was killed by Nathan, by accident." Max said, finally voicing ideas that had been swimming around her brain for the last couple of months.

"You're thinking there's more to it?" Chloe asked, releasing her leg and leaning back in her new seat.

"I know there's more to it, I just don't know what it is." Max stood up and started pacing. "Maybe we should have stayed in Arcadia, started investigating it ourselves, used my powers to find out just what the fuck is going on back there."

"Max... it's not on you to fix Arcadia's problems." Chloe said, standing up and pulling the brunette into a tight hug. "You found Rachel, you put her memory to peace, it's not on you to fix that shit hole."

"But we need to leave, soon, if we are being watched. I don't want my parents being dragged into whatever shit is going on in Arcadia." Max said, nuzzling into Chloe's chest as her mind ran in circles.

"We will Max, but we're not going back." Chloe whispered lovingly, kissing her girlfriend's head. "I don't want to lose you in that place too."

"I'll never let that happen Chloe."

* * *

 

They spent the next day packing all the things they wanted to take with them into their RV while Ryan and Vanessa went to the shops to buy their groceries. It took a few more trips than Max was expecting, though there was a lot of things she chose to leave behind like old clothes and music she no longer listened to. Her laptop was unceremoniously dumped on the bed while they found a home for their clothes, then it was moved into a cupboard while they made their bed properly for the first, and probably only, time.

"Jeez Max, could you have more stuff?" Chloe asked, panting from the RV door, another box in her arms.

"That should be the last of it." Max grinned, taking the box from her girlfriend.

"What the fuck is in that?" Chloe stepped into their RV and sat at the dining table.

"This one... is all the photos I have." She answered, taking it through to the bedroom and dumping it on the floor on her side of the bed.

"Are you going to need them all?" Chloe called through.

"Yes... just in case." Max said, walking back into the galley kitchen and sitting across from Chloe.

"You've been keeping up with your rewinds right?" Chloe asked.

"Every day, one hour rewind in the morning, and I've started trying to freeze time again for a few seconds." Max answered, they hadn't discussed the freeze time in a while, but she'd started anyway.

"Oh shit, why didn't you tell me?"

"Just felt like I was ready to try." Max shrugged. "It's really tiring though, it's more like a pause than a true freeze at the moment."

"Is that why you've been going to sleep earlier?" Chloe asked, she'd noticed Max's reduced interest in having intimate time at night then. She thought she could pass it off as her parents still being awake.

"Yeah..." She admitted. "I'm sorry, I should have said something."

"Too fucking right you should have. I've been thinking I've been doing something wrong and put you off!" Chloe huffed. "This is why you have to tell me things Max. Imagine if you started passing out, or we got into some rough situation and you couldn't rewind because you were too tired."

"I'm sorry Chloe... I didn't want to worry you." She muttered, not meeting her girlfriend's eyes.

"Well you worried me anyway babe." Chloe said, getting out of her seat and sliding into the space beside Max. "I'm not perfect, I worried that I'd done something to upset this beautiful girl, who for weeks couldn't keep her hands off me."

Max blushed slightly at Chloe's honesty. "I still can't." She admitted, running a hand up Chloe's leg as they sat together. "I just... thought I should get on with it, try to improve." She smiled.

"Which is good, but warn me next time?" Chloe asked, kissing her cheek lovingly. "I can't be your bodyguard if I don't know what state you're in that day."

Max laughed and nodded. "Deal, I'll tell you in future."

"Good!"

Max leaned against her partner in crime and smiled weakly, she'd tried the freeze that morning but not told Chloe. She didn't know if that power would ever get stronger, it hadn't in a week but the rewinds had developed really quickly, she wasn't feeling as tired after rewinding for a full hour. She'd have to increase the length of time she practiced for eventually, just in case. They never wanted to rely on a photo jump fix.

"I'd better get back to work before your parents get back and ask why we haven't packed everything properly." Chloe said, kissing Max on the side of the head. "You can rest, you look pretty tired already."

"Thank you." Max said as Chloe pulled away and began sorting things out in the kitchen.

"What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't let you kick back once in a while?" She said, moving plates into different cupboards.

"I'm not going to answer that." Max replied, twisting in her seat and putting her feet where Chloe had sat.

"Good idea sweetheart." Vanessa said, stepping into the RV with bags of groceries in her hands.

"I'll take those." Chloe said politely, taking the bags from Vanessa who then sat down opposite Max.

"You okay sweetie? You looked tired." Vanessa said, looking at Max closely.

"Just tired Mom. Had a few late nights." She lied, looking to Chloe for backup.

"My fault, I just can't seem to keep to my own side of the bed." Chloe grinned.

"I think it's something more than that." Ryan said, also entering the RV with another bag of groceries. "You're fortunate you're not a man, would have to have the guy talk with you." He said menacingly, though Max couldn't take him seriously.

"Ugh... I didn't... not like..." Chloe stuttered, looking between both of Max's parents like she was a deer caught in the headlights.

"It's fine Chloe." Ryan laughed, dropping the bag on the table between Max and his wife. "You're making my girl happy, I'd only have to kill you if you weren't."

"Yes Dad, she makes me very happy." Max said, sticking up for Chloe. She knew she didn't need to, but Chloe looked about ready to faint.

"That's what I like to hear. So are you two sleeping out here tonight?" He asked, looking between the two girls.

"Best way to know if something's wrong, right?" Chloe asked with a sly grin.

"Then we're going to leave you to it." Vanessa said, standing up and squeezing past her husband to go outside. Ryan stuck around for a moment longer, feigning interest in something on the dashboard, though it looked as though he was watching his wife.

"Alright... serious talk." He said, closing the RV's door and crossing his arms across his chest.

"What's up Dad?" Max asked, she looked to Chloe who looked concerned.

"I'm not deaf, and I'm not stupid. Something's up, and when I found five grand in your bag before you sold that truck I knew you were into some shit."

"That's..." Chloe started to speak.

"A lot of money for two teenagers who only just returned from Arcadia Bay." Ryan said. "I don't want to know where you got it, and I'm not going to ask. But even I've noticed a van across our street and I saw you eyeing it at the RV lot." He looked at Max.

"We didn't steal it." Max said. "Rachel Amber's Dad gave it to us, and told us to get out of Arcadia Bay." Max explained quietly.

"So you could be wrapped up in whatever he is?" Ryan asked, shaking his head. "Look, I agreed to this because I figured you'll both be safer as far away from that place as possible, but if trouble is indeed following you I want you both to be prepared." He opened his jacket and placed a gun and holster on the table. "I swore I'd never give you a gun Maxine, but I don't want you out in this world without some kind of protection."

"Dad... we'll be safe, I promise." Max said weakly. "I'll... text you everyday, so you know I'm okay."

"You're damn right you will." He said, tears in his eyes. "I don't like not being able to protect you Max, and it goes against my better judgement letting you go like this."

Max slid out from behind the dining table and wrapped her arms around her Dad's waist.

"Chloe... protect my daughter, or you and I will be having words."

"I'll protect her Mr Caulfield, I won't let any harm come to her."

"Not like the bruise on her cheek when you got back from Arcadia you mean?" He retorted. Chloe winced, they hadn't mentioned it in months. "I told you, I'm not stupid."

* * *

 

Chloe had stowed the gun in their bedroom behind Max's photo collection, their emergency weapon in case Max's powers failed them and with Ryan's serious words still ringing in their ears they left early the next morning. Her Dad knew something was going on and decided to act while Max had remained uncertain about their plans, but then he'd also sent her to LA to get Chloe without a second thought. He was always looking after Max, even if it wasn't always inside his control.

She hadn't practiced her powers this morning, instead deciding to stay fresh while they traveled away from the black van in case it followed them and Max had to do some kind of time trickery to try to lose them. What she'd do, she had no idea, but she'd work something out eventually if it came to it. Chloe was drumming her fingers on the wheel as she listened to music for a little bit, leaving Max to sit in the bedroom alone, thinking about Rachel Amber, James Amber and the Prescotts and that stupid latin phrase. She'd heard it almost daily for the last two months, only ignoring it by engrossing herself in her time with Chloe. Now she had that time to think and it was demoralising.

They knew James Amber was involved in some kind of investigation into the Prescotts, and they knew the Prescotts had just tried to have him killed because of it. They were probably being followed because of saving James' life, but it didn't make sense that the Prescotts knew who they were or where to find them. The only witness was detained by Mr Amber, who probably called the local police to arrest the man.

Then there was the mysterious phrase she kept hearing, that she was even heeding at this point. She was practicing daily, trying to improve her powers despite the physical exhaustion they were almost causing, as well as limiting the time she had to spend with Chloe at night. _That problem could be solved by spending time together in the day and driving later._ Max thought, a smile pulling at her lips. Even when she was sinking in dark thoughts just thinking about Chloe could make her smile.

She decided to leave the darkness in the bedroom and see her girlfriend, who was still drumming her hands on the wheel to the beat of the music. Max leaned against the fridge carefully, content to watch her happy girlfriend dance around in her seat.

"I hope you're keeping your eyes on the road." She called to her, hoping Chloe could hear her over the music.

"Of course! I can dance and drive Max! Been doing it for three years!"

Max laughed and opened their snack cupboard, rifling through its chaotic contents for the cookies she had seen in there at some point. She found the bag she was looking for and extracted it from their mess, retreived two cookies and quickly closed the door before any of it could fall out.

"Here." She said, sitting beside her girlfriend and offering her one of the cookies.

"Thanks babe." Chloe said, accepting the proffered snack. "Just let me know when you want to stop for the day, there's no timer on this." She smiled, taking a bite from her cookie.

"How about... three hours out from Seattle, find the closest RV park and then..." Max smirked, leaned in to Chloe's ear and whispered softly. "You show me how much you love me."

Chloe bit her bottom lip and nodded. "Oh I can definitely do that."

Max smirked, kissed her girlfriend's cheek and walked back to the bedroom. "You know where to find me." She said teasingly.

She closed the slide door behind her and started looking through the clothes she'd bought at Christmas. They'd had a bit of a spending spree, buying new clothes for both of them, though Chloe had quite an influence on Max's wardrobe. Ripped jeans, flannel shirts, punk shirts and vest tops, even some shin high boots that Chloe said suited her, though Max wasn't entirely sure. She finally found what she was looking for, something even Chloe hadn't seen her buy.

She closed the curtains in the bedroom for some privacy, the midday light peeking its way through the narrow gap between them. She gently pulled the garment out of the bag and lay it out on the bed before starting to undress, holding onto the wall of the room where necessary to ensure she didn't fall over.

Once undressed she retrieved the garment from the bed, the feel of the soft velvet was wondrous to her fingertips. The black bodysuit had looked amazing in the shop and the assistant had assured her it would be a perfect fit. She sat on the end of the bed and pulled on the bottom half of the suit, lying back on the bed and lifting up her hips to pull the transparent rear panel over her bottom. Carefully sitting back up she pulled the silk straps over her shoulders, the suit gradually covering her small chest. She stood up to inspect herself in the mirror that was attached to the wall at the bottom of the bed, admiring the hoop detailing as she closed the hook and eye closures on her back. It fitted her beautifully, the intricate lace flower details enhancing the shape of her body. She hadn't actually expected it to suit her quite as well as it did. The bottom of the suit hugged her hips nicely, though her legs remained bare to the cool air. She really hoped Chloe liked it.

Smiling to herself she pulled on a pair of the ripped jeans, a loose vest top and finally the black and grey flannel shirt she had picked out, completely concealing the suit from Chloe. She finished the look with the pair of shin high boots that Chloe had persuaded her to buy. _Not bad_. She thought, flicking a small amount of red lip gloss to accentuate her lips and match the red highlight still in her hair.

She retrieved her camera from her bag and made sure to take a selfie of the moment, just so she could give it to Chloe as a momento of this night. The RV slowed and made a sharp turn, then trundled along at a relatively slow pace for some time before stopping. She sat back down on the bed and listened as Chloe spoke to somebody outside the RV, then silence as she returned to the driver's seat and the RV moved a little further. Anticipation was building in Max's chest, she'd never had to wait for Chloe like this, they were both normally in the moment and all too happy to enjoy each other's bodies. She couldn't wait to see her girlfriend's reaction. The RV stopped and the engine cut off. Max moved up the bed and lay on Chloe's side, her eyes on the sliding door waiting for the blue haired punk.

"Alright, we're parked up and all set for the night!" Chloe called through, the RV door banging shut. "What have you been..." Her next words caught in her throat as she opened the slide door and looked at Max on their bed.

"How do I look?" Max asked, smiling sweetly.

"What have you done with my Max?" Chloe laughed.

"She's in here somewhere..." Max smirked seductively. "Maybe you should come undress me and find her."

"Oh is that what it's going to take?" Chloe kicked off her boots, knelt on the edge of the bed and started crawling up towards Max, like a Lioness stalking her prey.

"May take more than you've got, Price."

"Is that a challenge little Otter?" Chloe grinned, gently kissing Max's knees through the ripped fabric.

"I think it is." Max taunted, watching her girlfriend's progress.

Chloe kissed slowly higher up her body, running her hands up the outside of Max's legs as she kissed gently up her inner thigh. She skipped her more intimate area and waist, choosing instead to kiss steadily across her stomach. Max bit her bottom lip as the punk progressed further up her petite form until she sat up and their lips finally joined together, all her anticipation dissipating into a lust she hadn't felt before. Their simple kiss quickly turned passionate, Max's hands found Chloe's neck and held her girlfriend loosely, quietly hoping the girl would start stripping off her clothes sooner rather than later.

The beautiful punk was already pulling off her flannel shirt, stopped only by Max's stretched arms. She got the message and allowed her girlfriend to remove the shirt, followed closely by her loose vest top. Chloe's face was a sight to behold when she finally saw the bodysuit Max had concealed beneath her clothes.

"Holy... fucking... shit..." Chloe mouthed, her eyes raking over Max's frame.

"Like it?" Max asked, trying to gauge her reaction.

"Like it?" Chloe said, still taking in Max's beauty. "I fucking love it... I wanna see how far down it goes." She grinned, kissing down the deep plunge front to the waist of Max's jeans. She wasted no more time in undoing the buttons and pulling the jeans down to her knees, stopped only by her shin boots neither of them had bothered taking off yet.

"Still like?" Max grinned, she knew Chloe's reaction already, she just wanted to tease her further.

"Oh fucking hell yes." Chloe said, helping the brunette girl out of her boots and jeans, leaving her in just the bodysuit before her fully dressed girlfriend. "Best day... ever." The blunette said as she gently nibbled her way back up Max's body, eliciting a soft sigh from Max's red lips. It was going to be another night to remember.

* * *

 

A strange silence filled the night beyond the RV, the normal clamour of noise that normally accompanied an RV park was gone, along with the sounds of dogs and animals. The oddity of the night woke Max who wasn't used to living in a place so quiet. It wasn't like living in Seattle where noise in the neighbourhood was expected, or Blackwell campus where it was a forced silence. Something felt... strange. Max kissed her girlfriend's bare back gently and got up out of bed, almost tripping over the garment which had been thrown to the floor as soon as Chloe had relieved Max of it. She pulled on her underwear and was just in the process of pulling on the ripped jeans when she heard a scraping sound against the side of the RV.

"Chloe." She whispered sharply, trying to rouse her girlfriend. "Chloe!" She said a little louder.

"Sumater?" Chloe mumbled.

"I heard something outside..."

"Prolly kids, don't worry." Chloe said, rolling over and pulling the pillow over her head. Max shook her head and opened the sliding door, peering into the darkness of the RV. She was certain she'd heard something. A shadow passing one of the windows caught her eye, then another. She carefully moved down the length of their home, trying to catch a glimpse of whoever made the shadows.

It all happened at once, a loud pop, a flash of sparks and their RV door was pulled open. Men with guns stormed into their RV shouting orders, Chloe yelled from somewhere in the bedroom. Max tried to run to her girlfriend but felt an arm wrap around her waist and haul her back. She screamed and kicked out with her bare feet, pushing off the fridge and smashing whoever held her into their dining table.

"Chloe!" Max shouted as the punk girl appeared in their bedroom doorway with just her jacket over her shoulders and Ryan's gun in her hands.

"Kill the spare!" A voice shouted through one of the men's radios.

"No!" Max screamed, kicking out as one of the men took aim at Chloe. Bullet holes peppered the wall beside Chloe, forcing the poor girl to cower back in the bedroom. Max needed to get free so she could rewind, she needed one moment of freedom. She kicked and screamed trying to free herself as the person hauled her towards the RV's entrance. Then it happened, the person pushed her through the doorway so they could take aim at Chloe, but they'd let Max go, she was free. Her hand outstretched she rewound time and watched the bodies around the door reverse their course away from their home. She kept rewinding until she could no longer see them and the door behind her was closed. But now she was going to make them pay, they tried to kill her girlfriend.

She had to find them all first, she had to plan her approach, she had to stop them before they tried to kill Chloe again. These words kept going around her mind as she stalked through the RV park, using the flash of a sign as the point to rewind to, only travelling for minutes at a time before doing another rewind. She was the hunter now, whoever had been hunting them were the prey, they were trying to kill the girl she loved, the girl she had already seen die too many times. When she found the cluster of men in the shadow of an RV she hid on the other side of it and allowed time to move forward, listening to their conversation.

"Prescotts team are on the far side of the park, team two are ready to move." One of the men said.

"We really need eight men for a couple of girls?" One of the other men said. Max smirked, she knew they'd need more after tonight.

"Those are the orders." The first man replied.

"Team One, Team Two, go go go." The voice through the radio said.

Max rewound time, she knew there was another team she needed to find now. She followed her routine, rewinding every few minutes to the moment the sign flashed, then she finally found them, the second team hiding on the edge of the Park. She sat down in the shadow of an RV and allowed time to continue, watching the four men leave their hiding place, then rewinding, allowing them to move, then rewinding, over and over learning how they moved, where they looked, in what order they moved out. Max could feel the pain building behind her eyes, the headache she had been waiting for and dreading. She didn't have much longer to do this.

She rewound time and dropped her watch on the floor. She needed something to measure how long this took, a marker to rewind to before dealing with the first team. This was the moment she went from sweet innocent girl who made a decision to ruin a town, to a not-so-innocent girl who would conciously kill for her girlfriend. She took a deep breath, and rewound time once more.

To the men trying to capture Max it was like fighting a ghost. One minute they were approaching the RV as normal, the next a small girl appeared in their midst, relieved them of their suppressed handguns and shot them in the head at point blank range with their own weapons. She was a ghost, she appeared silently and undetected, ripping apart their well laid plans with a precision no military team in the world could possess.

For Max, it was a physical hell. Taking lives while her headache grew exponentially more painful and her reactions became sluggish. She'd done what she'd set out to do, leaving a trail of bodies in her wake, killed silently with their own weapons. But she was exhausted, she was in pain, and every step towards their RV sent shivers up her spine. She got inside, tossed her watch to the table and rewound one last time in case anybody had witnessed her last kill. She hoped her timing wasn't off, that she didn't rewind too far, but her head felt like it was about to split open.

"Chloe..." She shouted weakly, sitting at the table facing the bedroom.

"Max?!" Chloe yelled, rushing from the bedroom in just her underwear. She stopped dead when she saw Max sat at the table, shock evident on the blunette's beautiful face.

"I think we need to leave now." Max smirked before slipping sideways into darkness.


	5. Echoes

"Fantastic! Beautiful! Enlightened!" The ghostly voice echoed around Max's exhausted mind. "All that energy, all that anger, all that POWER! To save one girl. Max... I underestimated you. I knew you could allow a town to die, I did not expect you to take the fight to your enemies."

Her head felt thick, sluggish, she couldn't see the world around her. But she knew that voice, the voice without a source. It irritated her already tired mind, trying to make her remember that other dream.

"Where am I?" She asked, though it sounded as though her voice was being echoed back at her.

"You pushed your powers too far. You're dead." The voice said.

"What?!" She yelled, thinking of poor Chloe who would have to deal with another loss in her life.

"I'm joking! I couldn't resist. You're fine Max, this is... free space, chaos. No time, no reality just... you and I." The voice said, this time it was slowly turning female.

"Why am I here?" She muttered, trying to look at her hands but seeing nothing. It was so strange, she was certain she should have a body. Almost at will her body materialised before her, from her hands to her feet, wearing the punk outfit she'd shown off to Chloe the day before. "What the...?"

"Free space Max, your mind is going to fill in the blanks, it will build the world around you based on what you're thinking or what you think you see. It's why you saw the Dark Room last time."

"I don't understand." Max said looking around trying to find the source of the voice.

"Your mind, right now, is in a chaotic state. You used your powers so much it's caused an overload." The woman said, slowly materialising before Max. Beautiful blonde hair, blue earring, hazel eyes. Max gasped as Rachel Amber stood before her. "I'm not Rachel." She said, crossing her arms.

"My mind... overloaded." Max mumbled.

"Right. You're catching on. Your mind needs time to reset, to process the information you just crammed into it."

"But Chloe's okay?" She asked as Chloe's old bedroom started to assemble itself around them.

"She's fine, you saved her again." Rachel sat down on the end of Max's bed, smiling softly at her. "Think of this like a dream or a nightmare. When you sleep your subconcious takes over and tries to make sense of things. This is... trying to make sense of chaos, something you're not ready to do yet."

"Was I ever ready for any of this?" Max asked.

Rachel looked sadly at her. "I'm sorry you're going through this Max, I'd hoped you'd never push your powers too far too fast."

"Bit difficult not to do when some assholes kick in your front door and try to kill your girlfriend." Max retorted, pacing the space at the bottom of the bed.

"Your head will stop hurting soon and when you leave this place you will forget all about it, again."

"That's what happened last time?" Max asked, sitting beside Rachel.

"Yes, you wore yourself out trying not to sleep and ended up here. This is where your mind will go to protect itself, to make sense of chaos and it is where you can find me to talk to."

"You're also the one who gave me these powers?"

"Something like that. It's... complicated. Right now... you wouldn't understand, and you wouldn't remember it anyway." Rachel said, putting an arm around Max.

"Will I ever understand these powers?" Max asked, finding herself leaning into the warm embrace of a girl she didn't know.

"In time." Rachel whispered. "But you chose the road untravelled, you're the first, but you won't be the last."

"Not exactly a comforting thought to think there will be more Time Travelers in the world."

"There will never be another with your powers Max, but there will be others with powers." Rachel held her gently, playing with her hair like Chloe would.

The bedroom started to gradually collapse around them, until only the two of them remained sitting on the edge of the bed. Rachel smiled sadly and kissed her softly on her forehead. "It's time to go. Good luck and keep training."

* * *

 

Max could feel the warmth of Chloe's leg pressed against her ear as she slowly came around. She couldn't remember anything after telling Chloe they had to leave, but her actions were indelibly etched into her mind. All of the men she had killed, the amount of times she had killed them trying to find the perfect route through them. She had never fired a gun before in her life, so every kill had been made at point blank range, the barrel of the gun pressed against their heads so she knew she wouldn't miss. She'd become a killer for Chloe and it made her sick to think of the families these men had left behind.

Opening her eyes she saw their bedroom and a number of empty plates on the bottom of the bed. She could feel Chloe gently playing with her hair and the ruffle of paper as the girl turned a page in a book. Max's hands were on Chloe's knee, right in front of her face. They were covered in blood. She sat up quickly and looked down her body at the blood that had collected on her new shirt.

"Hey, it's okay." Chloe said, dropping her book and hugging Max close.

"Oh fuck Chloe... what have I done?" She cried, pushing her face into Chloe's chest so she didn't have to look at herself.

"I don't know, you've been asleep for a day."

"I... slept for a day?" Max's voice was distrorted by the blunette's vest top.

"Well, sixteen hours and forty seven minutes by my watch." Chloe said, kissing Max's forehead. "I got us out of the RV park like you said, then I drove for a few hours, found another park and we've been here ever since."

"Nobody followed us?" Max asked, pulling away from her girlfriend to look into her eyes. "You're sure nobody followed us?"

"Nobody followed us Max, I checked and double checked, I've checked every hour." Chloe said trying to console the brunette.

Max nodded and snuggled back into her girlfriend, trying to block the images of death from her mind. But soon Chloe would ask again what she'd done, and she couldn't lie to her. _But what if you hate me for what I've become?_ She thought, she couldn't help but start crying at the thought of losing her soulmate.

They remained cuddled together on the bed while Max cried over her depressing thoughts, but to Chloe's credit the blunette never left her side. She would wipe her tears away, kiss her cheeks, stroke her hair, but not once did she release Max and leave her alone.

"I killed people." Max eventually whispered, unable to look Chloe in the eyes. "They stormed our RV, and they shot at you... so I killed them."

"You... obviously did it to protect us." Chloe reasoned, holding Max a little tighter.

"My first rewind... we could have left, they'd have to let us go but..." She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. "No... after the first rewind I hunted them. I looked for them in the RV Park, rewinding every few minutes so I could find them... and then I killed them all."

"That's why you're..."

"Covered in their blood, yeah. I tried shooting them from further away but kept missing... so I'd rewind to be right next to them, and I'd use their own guns to shoot them in the head."

"Oh my God Max." Chloe said quietly, her grip on Max loosening which scared her. She couldn't lose Chloe for what she'd done. "You didn't try... just... shooting them in the leg?"

"I... I..." Max stuttered. _Why didn't I think of that? Why did I go straight for the kill?_ She thought, the weight of her decision crashing down on her guilt and making it worse. "Please don't hate me, please..." Max begged, trying to meet Chloe's eyes.

"What?" Chloe said, meeting Max's eyes with a look of confusion in her blue eyes.

"I don't want you to hate me for what I did." Max pleaded, her bloody hands going to Chloe's neck.

"Max... I'll never hate you." Chloe replied, holding Max tighter than before. "I'm the one who's supposed to be protecting you, and you just saved my life again."

"I couldn't risk your life, I didn't want them killing you, I didn't want to see that happen again." Max said, fresh tears falling from her eyes.

"I know, it's okay. You did what you felt you had to do, and I will never hold that against you." Chloe said, kissing away Max's tears. "Believe me Max, I am with you forever, through everything life throws at us."

For the first time today Max smiled and kissed her girlfriend on the lips, who returned the kiss without complaint.

"I was really fucking worried about you though." Chloe whispered as they broke apart. "All I saw was my Max, sitting in the dark with this dark stuff shining over your body and you sounded so fucking tired."

"I was fucking exhausted, I'd pushed myself so hard to just keep going, to just get it done so we could leave." Max said, nuzzling Chloe's cheek gently. "By the end, I just wanted to get back to you, to be in your arms."

"We really need to get you in the shower though." Chloe said quietly. "You may not feel it, but you look like you've been in a horror movie."

"Just... don't leave me?" Max asked, she couldn't stand to be alone after that night. It had been such a good night until those assholes had shown up. She wanted her night back.

"I won't, but... I can't exactly join you in the shower." Chloe smirked slightly.

"Want a fucking bet? I need you to look after me."

"Fine... but no funny business." Chloe kissed her head and gradually released the small girl from her loving embrace.

* * *

 

"Your information was flawed, Prescott." The first distorted voice said through the computer speakers, annoying him once again. He'd told them he was tracking a person of interest, he didn't tell them he was prepared to move to capture them. He was not about to take the blame for their impatience.

"My information was fine. I had these girls under surveillance and when I was ready to make a move I would have." He said, trying to keep the edge out of his voice.

"That is not your decision to make." The second voice said. "They should never have been allowed to leave Arcadia Bay."

"That was not within our control. Had the chairman not gone after James Amber, these girls may very well have remained in Arcadia Bay for a while longer." Prescott retorted happily. Maybe they'd finally start listening to him.

"You've made no valid argument to allow these two girls to roam free. You're failing to provide adequate information and you're blaming the Chairman for your errors." The first voice said, sounding angrier than Sean had heard it before.

"I didn't deploy one of your teams to capture two teenagers." Sean said, smirking. "Nor am I blaming the Chairman for that particular action. I had a team watching the situation, that's how we got this information so quickly. I think I've been more than cooperative regarding this unfortunate incident."

"Mr Prescott is correct, the information he has provided was certainly quick. But I must ask, as it is vital to our tests for essence, when will Blackwell reopen?" A third voice said, silencing the previous two.

"The town has come a long way over the winter period. We're hoping to reopen the Academy in September at the earliest."

"Just in time for the new school year. Excellent work on rebuilding the project so quickly." The distortion on the voice made it difficult to tell the gender of the person speaking, but Sean was almost certain it was a woman.

"Thank you, we've worked around the clock to bring it back from the brink."

"I'm handing over control of the Pricefield situation to you. I want them brought in and questioned."

"Pricefield?" Sean said curiously.

"Every mission needs a name, this one is now official. Bring them in Sean, I want them alive. I want to know how they killed my men."

"Of course, I'll make it my top priority. Is there a... time limit on this?"

"No, use your better judgement. You seem to be very good at that." The secure link once again closed, and Sean couldn't help but punch the air in joy.

"Took them long enough." He muttered, opening a file on his computer and looking at the information on Maxine Caulfield and the Jane Doe in the Portland hospital.

* * *

 

The fall of water on Max's head was a pleasant feeling after the headache had finally eased off, clearing her senses so she could enjoy her shower without the constant drumming behind her eyes. Chloe stood behind her, running her fingers through the brunette's hair as she washed the blood away that had tangled her locks together. They'd never showered together at her parents or on the road, but it was definitely something she'd prefer to do if they had more space. The shower really wasn't built for two, but she had insisted that her girlfriend joined her to help clean the blood from her face at least.

Chloe couldn't refuse such an offer, taking delight at the idea of Max, bubbles, water, and no clothes. Max always knew she was a perv, but her excitement at squeezing into a tiny shower was laughable. Max had been expecting the normal pervy witticisms from her punk, but so far she'd been rather subdued, taking delicate care of Max's body as she cleaned the blood from her face and hair.

"If you decide to get up in their faces again... wear a hat." Chloe said, she just couldn't resist making jokes.

"If I do that again, I'll wear a ski mask." Max tried to joke back, looking into the shower mirror so she could see her girlfriend's face.

"And a trash bag." Chloe added, kissing the back of her head.

"Definitely a trash bag." Max agreed with a smile. A drop of water hit her eye, she blinked rapidly to clear it. She glanced into the mirror and saw somebody else standing behind her, a blonde girl with a blue earring. She spun around quickly to confront the stranger, only to come face to face with a surprised looking Chloe.

"Whoa Max... you okay?" Chloe asked.

"Just... thought I saw something." She answered, looking into the mirror once more. Only Chloe and her own reflection looked back. "It's been a weird day."

"Tell me about it." Chloe agreed, taking Max's hands and started trying to clean the blood from them.

"I'm... not a bad person, am I?" Max asked weakly.

"Fuck no Max, where's this coming from?"

"I... Chloe I didn't even think about wounding those people, I went straight to killing without question." She admitted, watching Chloe's hands gently massaging her own.

"You're not a bad person Max." Chloe said confidently. "You're kind, you're caring. You saved a girl from committing suicide, you broke time to save a girl from a horrible death. You went to find a girl in LA because she made a terrible mistake..." They looked in each other's eyes and smiled. "And you just left the safety of your home to protect your parents, and I think it just saved their lives." Max bit her bottom lip as she looked into those blue eyes, unable to contain the smile Chloe had managed to elicit. "You are a wonderful woman, Max. You are my best friend, my saviour, my lover... stop doubting yourself babe. I don't."

"You have a wonderful way with words, Chloe Price." She kissed her girlfriend's collarbone gently. "I'm so glad I have you."

"Better be, I don't think anybody else would be in the shower cleaning blood off you." Chloe was smiling as she said it, so Max didn't take her joke to heart. She knew better than that by now.

When Max was sufficiently clean Chloe got out of the shower first and pulled a towel round herself, then when Max got out she wrapped a towel around her too and pulled her lovingly into the bedroom. Max was enjoying the time she was getting with Chloe, with no urgent need to go anywhere or do anything. It was almost like they were back in Seattle, except once they got bored of where they were they could just move to another place. Their idea of going to Miami was still a plan, but they weren't in any hurry to get there.

"Let's set off tomorrow." Max said, lying down on her side of the bed with her towel around her chest.

"Sounds good." Chloe replied, lying on her back beside her in her own towel. "Any direction you'd like to go in?"

"Let's go south, to Vegas." She answered, admiring Chloe's amazing tattoo like she normally did when looking for a distraction.

"Vegas it is!" Chloe smiled, looking at Max. "What are you thinking?"

Max knew just what was on her mind, because it wouldn't stop racing around. Rachel Amber, Sean Prescott, the dead men, an investigation and all the strange shit going on. _Can I tell you without you being upset?_ She thought, looking up into Chloe's eyes. _Will you let me look into this?_

"Just admiring your tattoo again." She lied with a smile, running a finger over the beautiful artwork.

"You're a terrible liar Max." Chloe grinned.

"I know..." Max laughed, but didn't elaborate further.

* * *

 

The next day Max did her daily power exercises. She read a book for two hours, then tried to rewind it all. She pushed it to an hour fifteen before she had to let it go, her nose remained blood free. Then she tried to initiate a freeze while looking at her watch. Three minutes was all she could manage before releasing it and panting heavily. She'd lasted longer when trying to save Kate, but that had been a life or death situation and it had killed her powers for a short time afterwards. There was no way she wanted to do that again when they intended to move to a new place.

"Alright, we're all set to go." Chloe called out, stepping back into the RV and closing the door behind her. "How long did you manage?" She asked.

"One hour fifteen. Could be better." She answered, dropping the book on the pile beside her bed. "I'm going to need more books though soon if my powers get better."

"How about something on... economics?" Chloe said, walking into the bedroom and looking at Max with a grin.

"I am not getting into the stock market." Max laughed, getting off the bed and putting her arms around Chloe's waist. "Come on, let's get moving." She said, tapping Choe's belly playfully.

"You riding up front with me today? Or hiding in the back changing into another sexy number?" Chloe asked, releasing her girlfriend and swaggering up the RV to the driver's seat.

"Up front with you, you're stuck with me Price. I'd like the company anyway." Max said, following after her girlfriend and sitting in the passenger seat.

"Feeling okay?" Chloe looked at her curiously.

"Still a bit drained after the other night. It'll pass." She smiled.

Chloe wasted no time in taking them out of the RV park and back to the highway. Max pulled her knees up to her chin, letting her mind run in circles trying to make sense of the mess they were most definitely apart of. She'd heard the radio chatter, she'd heard Prescott's name. This wasn't going away while they ran, but she couldn't drag Chloe back into that mess. It wouldn't be fair, she had to keep her girl safe and after the other night, she knew how to make that happen.

"I love you Chloe." She smiled, standing up and kissing her girlfriend on the side of the head.

"I love you too babe." Chloe grinned. "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fucking great." Max said, sitting back down and watching the landscape drift by.

They were an hour into their journey when Max's stomach grumbled noisily.

"Fucking hell Max, hungry much?" Chloe jibed with a smirk.

"This is what happens when I rewind, I get hungry." Max replied, getting up from her comfortable seat and heading over to the snack cupboard.

She pulled out her last bag of cookies and sat at the dining table, where the laptop had finally been given a home when they weren't eating. It was mostly dead weight when they were on the move, internet signal was unreliable and it wasn't a very powerful laptop, it couldn't play games other than whatever desktop games they had. Max opened a file on the screen and looked at old pictures of her and Chloe. She flicked through the pictures, laughing at some of their outfits until she stopped on one that looked like Rachel Amber. She rubbed her eyes and looked again, it was another picture of Chloe.

"Hey babe..." Max said, closing the laptop screen and getting back up.

"Wassup?" Chloe yelled back.

"What was Rachel like?" She asked, wandering back to the passenger seat, biting into one of her cookies.

"Rach was... fucking awesome." Chloe said sadly. "I've told you about her, remember?"

"Tell me again, I like hearing you talk." Max smiled.

"She was... nothing like those other assholes at Blackwell, okay... maybe a little bit, considering she banged Frank. But... she cared about me, she kept me sane in that shit hole. I really wish you'd got to meet her. You'd both have got along so fucking well." Chloe smiled awkwardly. Max regret asking, she'd reopened old wounds.

"I bet we would have." Max smiled. "But I think you'd have been jealously fought over for your attention."

"Fuck no, we'd have been fighting over your bony white ass." Chloe laughed. "She'd have loved your photographer's keen eye, which I've noticed you've not been using much lately."

"I... haven't felt in the right mood." Max replied, thinking back to the last picture she'd taken before the night raid.

"Don't give up that talent Max, you take amazing pictures." Chloe smiled. "And your Dad would kill me if you did give it up."

Max laughed. "Yeah, we did tell him this was a portfolio trip."

"But Rach, you know how much she wanted to leave Arcadia Bay. I never realised how much in the end I guess." Chloe leaned on the arm of her chair and remained quiet for some time.

Max decided to leave her girlfriend to the driving, planting a soft kiss on her cheek before she returned to the bedroom of their RV. She lay back on her side of the bed, looking at the choice of books she could read. A part of her was sorely tempted to take up Chloe's continued suggestions to learn economics and the stock market so she could make them money to live on, but she still wanted to be a professional photographer. Even with all the time in the world she would have to dedicate herself to just one of those pursuits to begin with, she just didn't know which appealed to her most. She closed her eyes for a moment, intending to get a short nap and regain some of her lost energy from the rewind that morning.

She woke up to the sliding door opening into its housing and looked at her beautiful girlfriend who'd just walked in. The room was bathed in a gentle glow from candles dotted around the room, the curtains were closed around their whole RV and Chloe was smiling seductively in her black underwear, an open red and black flannel shirt and knee high socks she'd bought back in Seattle.

"Holy... shit..." Max whispered, her eyes raking in every inch of her girlfriend.

"I didn't know if it would fit... but I wanted to surprise you this time." Chloe smirked. "The shirt is a little tight..." She closed the door behind her and knelt on the edge of the bed. "But I think it helps..." She dropped forwards onto her hands and starting prowling up the bed over Max's legs.

"You look hella amazing." She nodded, watching her girlfriend move ever closer to her.

Their lips met with a burst of emotion, eliciting just the right reaction from Max who placed her hands on Chloe's hips. They remained engaged in their lover's kiss for some time, though Max soon had her jeans removed by the seductive punk. She'd tried getting Max's shirt off as well but that required breaking a kiss, something neither of them wanted to do right now.

It was only with reluctance Max allowed Chloe to pull away, but Max was shocked when she saw the blonde locks and the hazel eyes of Rachel Amber before her shirt was pulled over her head and out of their way, the woman she saw was once again her blue haired, blue eyed girlfriend. But the image had shaken her, if only momentarily. Chloe kissed gently down Max's body to her inner thighs, causing Max to let out a soft moan, her eyes shut tight. She could feel Chloe's soft touch working over her hips, slowly peeling her underwear down her thighs. She looked down at her girlfriend and once again the hazel eyes of Rachel Amber met hers. She blinked and Chloe was back, but her girlfriend had realised something was wrong, giving up on her attempt to seduce Max and moving up the bed to hold her.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her voice full of concern. Max kept her eyes closed tight, she didn't understand it. "Babe, what's up?" Chloe asked again, cradling the brunette in her arms.

"I don't know." Max said, refusing to open her eyes. "I don't understand it."

"Max, talk to me... what's wrong?"

"I... fuck..." Max opened her eyes and once again Chloe was replaced by Rachel. She closed her eyes tight and almost screamed. "I keep seeing... God... fuck... no..."

"Seeing what? Babe I can't help if you don't talk to me."

"I keep seeing Rachel Amber."

* * *

 

"Good Evening, Mr Prescott." His new personal assistant said, the security officer who kept bringing him all the bad news. He'd given her the promotion in the end, but only because he was used to seeing her bring him the information.

"Good Evening Amelia, how are we doing today?" He asked politely as he entered his Manor.

"Everything in Blackwell is on track, the science labs have been given their upgrade and the arts departments are searching for new teachers now." She said, handing him one of the files from her arms.

"Excellent news, anything else?"

"The Doctor in Portland has sent along his tenth report early, I'm not privy as to why." She said, handing him another file.

"I'll have to do something about that in the future, now that you're an important member of my senior staff." He said, glancing into the report.

"That's very kind of you sir."

He stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes scanning the report. It wasn't making any sense, they'd seen nothing like this before.

"Is everything okay sir?" Amelia asked.

"An issue has arisen. Please rearrange all of tomorrows meetings, we need to go to Portland now."

"Yes sir, right away." She woman said, producing a touchpad from below the stacks of files.

He marched back out the way he had come, his eyes scanning the reports over and over looking for any possible answers hidden in the report. Something strange was going on, and it wasn't time to put all the pieces of the puzzle together.


	6. Surprises

"What the fuck do you mean you're seeing Rachel?" Chloe asked, releasing Max.

"She keeps... appearing. In the shower I looked in the mirror and she was behind me! Then she was in a picture that was of you... and just... just... we stopped kissing and I thought I saw her again, and then when you..." She blushed slightly. "I saw her again and... I don't fucking know what's wrong with me."

"But you're seeing her... in place of me?"

"It's not like I fucking want to!" Max said, peeking through her eyes at her girlfriend who'd moved away from her. "I don't understand it Chloe!" Chloe's distance was like a physical pain in Max's heart. She needed her now more than ever and the punk wouldn't even touch her.

"You've never met Rach... how are you seeing her?!" Chloe sounded cold, distant.

"I don't know!" Max started to cry again. "I don't want to be seeing your dead friend! I want to see you! I don't want to be seeing a fucking ghost!" Max felt Chloe's arms wrap tightly around her, her warm skin pressing against Max's. Something she'd said had got through to Chloe and she didn't care what it was. She needed her girlfriend. "Chloe... why... I don't..." She cried into her girlfriend's shirt.

"It's okay Max, it... should fix itself, right?" Chloe sounded worried, they had no idea where to start with this problem.

"I don't know... I... fuck!" Max said. "This night... started off so fucking well."

"But you said... you've been seeing her since yesterday?" Chloe said, stroking the brunette's hair softly.

"Since our shower yesterday, but it was only once. I've seen her three times today."

"Maybe... you're just really tired?"

"I fucking hope so." Max tried to snuggle closer into her girlfriend, but they were already as close as they were going to get. She needed the physical connection to her, she needed to know she wasn't going insane. "The last time... I saw things..." She started to say. "Was the tornado."

"You... can't be seeing the future again though Max, Rachel's dead." Chloe whispered, gently rocking her back and forth. "We found her body, and these aren't like those visions, you're not coming over all weird."

"I know Chloe... I know. But what if... I'm going to do something to bring about a new future? Like using my powers to create that tornado?" She opened her eyes, hoping it would still be Chloe she saw. She was so happy to see those blue eyes looking back.

"Then there's probably some really good fucking reason, like saving me from Jeffershit, or yourself from the Dark Room." Chloe smiled. "I know you'll always find your way back to me Max, I trust you."

"What happened to everybody lies, no exceptions?" Max asked.

"Time Max is a definite exception." Chloe smirked.

They remained cuddled together on their bed, though Max preffered to keep her eyes closed in case the Rachel visions returned to torment her. Chloe's wonderful attempt at a sexy surprise had been ruined by Max, something she was also now regretting. She needed to get a handle on her powers, she needed to control them not allow them to control her.

Chloe slowly released her and began putting out the sensual candles, returning the room to darkness before Max switched on her bedside lamp. Max couldn't help but watch her girlfriend's backside, barely covered by the flannel shirt and black underwear. She was glad she wasn't seeing Rachel again right then.

"Now who's the perv." Chloe said, catching her looking.

"Not perving... admiring." Max corrected her with a grin.

"Would you..." Chloe started to say, sitting on the end of the bed. "Like to try again? No lights?"

"You're really turned on tonight, aren't you?" Max said, crossing her arms. Despite the shock factor of seeing Rachel, she was quietly tempted to take up Chloe's offer.

"I have just spent the day at the wheel, some of it alone and I just... I need my Max time, like you need your Chloe time."

"And you figure if I can't see..."

"You can't get freaked out, and you'll know it's always me." Chloe finished, smirking playfully. "No pressure though!"

Max chewed her bottom lip, eyeing up her half dressed girlfriend who was almost begging her to let go and enjoy the night.

* * *

 

"Explain it to me Doctor." Sean Prescott said, standing in the room with the Jane Doe patient. Her face was covered by bandages, leaving no signs of the woman's identity.

"Last night we detected a spike in her brains beta, gamma and theta waves, which is highly unusual. The increase in her beta and gamma waves implied she was alert and conscious, but the spike in her theta waves led us to believe she was in a deeper state of sleep. We don't quite understand the correlation. Although her delta waves remained consistent throughout the episode." The male Doctor explained, holding the white clipboard with the woman's notes on it.

"Could it have been a seizure?" Sean asked, looking at the woman's closed eyes, the only visible part of her body.

"No, we checked and double checked our results. It was as though she was experiencing some kind of emotion and trying to react to them."

"Why would something like this happen?" Amelia asked. Sean had briefed her on the way to the hospital, if she was to be an effective member of his team she needed to be in the loop, and able to ask questions.

"Outside stimuli. A nightmare, though she really shouldn't be dreaming." The Doctor answered.

"That didn't answer my question, I asked why not how." Amelia retorted. Sean was impressed with her tenacity.

"We honestly don't know why. We've never seen anything like it before, which is why I sent my report early. You told me to keep you up to date, Mr Prescott." The Doctor said, looking back to Sean. "We're doing everything you've asked, keeping a patient in a medically induced coma for this long could have consequences."

"She'll pull through, she just needs time." Sean said. "Thank you for the update Doctor, you may go." The Doctor gave a brief nod and swept from the room, closing the door behind him.

Sean paced the room a few times, never taking his eyes off the girl in the hospital bed. Amelia opened her smart briefcase and pulled out a number of files, then dropped one onto the table at the foot of the bed.

"Recent field report. We've lost track of the Pricefield girls."

"When did this happen?" He asked, ignoring the file. He trusted her for now.

"After the RV Park incident. They gave our men the slip, possibly changed direction." She answered quietly.

"Has that incident been contained?"

"Local Police were not alerted, the bodies and equipment were removed from the site. There won't be any blowback on the Council or you."

"At least that's something they won't come after me for. Any unusual events around their last known position?" He asked, placing a hand on the bandaged head of the woman in the bed.

"An increase in ATM thefts, local police are baffled as to how it's happening but somebody is getting away with a few hundred dollars. Similar to reports from LA to Seattle last year."

"That's our breadcrumb trail. It won't get us ahead of them but we'll be right behind them. Track those reports."

"ATM thefts?" Amelia asked, sounding confused.

"Suspicious ATM thefts, where there's no visible explanation."

"Yes sir." She still sounded confused, but it would all make sense in the end.

* * *

 

It had been weeks since Max's Rachel Vision episode, as they'd come to call it. They had slowly inched their way south to Las Vegas, taking as long as they liked on their journey, looking around the small towns they happened to stay at with Max taking a few pictures of the two of them. Max's Dad was happy as long as they text him daily, which they did without fail. David was paying his rent, though complaining about issues as they arose, which Chloe would tell him to fix and take the cost out of his next month's rent. After each conversation with David, Max had spent her time pulling Chloe out of a dark mood. Speaking to her Step-Dad only reminded her of Joyce.

Max's rewind powers had started to take longer to improve. She could now hold it for almost three hours, but it usually caused a nosebleed. Her freeze had come along as well, being able to hold it for almost an hour doing nothing, or ten minutes trying to move without it becoming painful. She'd once again tried rewinding time with Chloe but it had almost immediately worn her out with no progress. It was like Chloe was anchored to the timeline, with no way to move her along it with Max. She was limited by the weight of the object she was trying to move with.

Unfortunately Max was still suffering with flashbacks to the RV Park. Killing so many people had left its mark on her, the only way she could cope was by throwing herself into tasks to remain busy. If it wasn't testing her powers it was reading a book, or looking after her girlfriend. She hadn't pushed herself to the point of exhaustion in a while and the latin phrase had stopped repeating around her mind, but if she wasn't paying so much attention to Chloe she was sure she'd have fallen into a depressive state by now. The punk was keeping her head above the tides of her guilt, barely.

It was now the evening of March 9th, in two days time Chloe would turn twenty, and they were in Las Vegas. Max had no idea what she was going to buy her girlfriend on her first birthday as a couple. They'd bought new clothes together so she didn't need any new ones. With the rent money they bought things as they were required, primarily food, gas and RV parking. Max tried not to rewind at ATMs as often as she did, though sometimes they were forced to when the rent money didn't go as far as they were hoping. She thought about getting them a table at some high class restaurant, but then considered they wouldn't exactly fit in with their punkish clothes, but that would be easily fixed by buying a couple of nice dresses. If she could persuade Chloe to wear a dress. She smirked at the thought, drawing her girlfriend's attention from the laptop.

"What's got you smirking?" Chloe asked, dropping the machine on the bed to look at Max.

"I'm plotting." Max stuck her tongue out playfully.

"Plotting what?" Her girlfriend asked suspiciously. "Am I going to like it?"

"Plotting your birthday surprise." Max grinned, rolling onto her side. "How would you like to go out for dinner?"

"Not much of a surprise now Max." Chloe laughed. "But I'd... yeah I'd like that."

"Who says that's the whole surprise?" Max gently kissed her girlfriend's arm, keeping her eyes locked on Chloe's.

Chloe eyed her suspiciously, watching her kiss gently up her arm to her shoulder. "There's more to this plot of yours?"

"Maaaaybe... you're going to have to wait and see." Max said, gently biting her girlfriend's shoulder.

"Fine." Chloe said, shivering slightly at Max's touch. "But... I want you to stop biting me if you're not in the mood."

"Who says I'm not?" Max smirked and started kissing her way to Chloe's neck.

"Oh I'm going to hell for this..." Chloe whispered, tipping Max backwards onto the bed and knocking the laptop onto the floor with her feet.

The next morning they went out shopping together, Max in her black and grey flannel shirt over a white vest top with her ripped jeans and shin high boots, Chloe in her black jacket over a white vest top and her normal jeans with boots. Max's dress style really had shifted to compliment Chloe's, something she didn't regret in the slightest. She was turning heads in her own right, though it could also be down to the blue haired punk she had holding her hand and fawning over her wherever they went. Max carefully slipped away from Chloe whenever the opportunity arose, trying to find something that her girlfriend may like, but never finding just quite what she was looking for. She put a hand around her bullet necklace as she looked through a jewelry section, trying to find something similar for Chloe. Her girlfriend just seemed to be missing something ever since she'd given Max her bullet necklace.

"I need this." She said, returning to Chloe momentarily and taking one of her rings off her fingers.

"Oh no, you're not buying me a ring." Chloe protested, trying to stop her girlfriend.

"Maybe you're not getting a ring, maybe I'm getting it engraved, maybe I'm getting one for myself." Max said, trying to move away from her punk who was following her across the jewelry store.

"If you buy me a ring, I'll kill you." Chloe said, shaking her head as Max got away from her.

Max didn't worry about her threat, she planned to rewind the last couple of minutes once she knew her girlfriend's ring size. It was cheating on her promise to never rewind Chloe without her permission, but she'd never get it and she wanted to do this. She took the ring to the assistant, who measured it for her, then she carefully rewound to just before she'd taken Chloe's ring from her. Nobody noticed a thing.

She picked out the necklace and ring she wanted for her girlfriend and purchased them with some of the cash Mr Amber had given them in Arcadia Bay. It was a lot more than they'd normally spend, but it wasn't everyday Chloe would turn twenty and Max really wanted it to be a memorable day.

"Where've you been?" Chloe asked as Max returned to her girlfriend's side, a small bag in her hands.

"Getting your present. No you can't look!" Max grinned, pulling the bag away from Chloe's outstretched fingers.

"Oh come on Max, it's only a day early." Chloe pleaded, trying to reach for the bag again.

"And you're really impatient. You have to wait." Max said, placing her free hand on Chloe's neck, standing on her tiptoes and kissing her girlfriend in front of all the other shoppers.

They returned to their RV with a couple of bags of clothes, specifically for their dinner meal the following day, as well as new hair dye for Chloe who's roots were now fairly prominent. Max had told her to go back to her natural colour if she really wanted, but Chloe seemed to want to remain blue haired for a while longer, secretly Max thought it had something to do with Rachel but decided not to press the issue.

That night Max helped the blunette cut and dye her hair, returning to the same Chloe Price she'd met at Blackwell all those months ago, except there were no strawberry blonde roots to detract from the beautiful blue both of them loved so much. Max had even allowed Chloe to cut her hair and strip the red dye out of it, then dye a blue highlight into it so she could match Chloe on her birthday. The smell of the hair dye removal permeated the RV, forcing them to open all the windows trying to get the horrible odour of rotten eggs out of their home. They spent the rest of the night watching shit TV, happily snuggled up together under the covers. There was nowhere else Max would rather be than with her girlfriend.

* * *

 

The morning of March 11th started off perfectly, Max had managed to sneak out of bed without waking the birthday girl and had started cooking their breakfast meal. She was drawing a bit of inspiration from Joyce, trying to do a fully cooked breakfast. She broke a number of eggs on the floor and rewound to fix her mistake, one amazing advantage to her powers, she never had to fear ruining food again, she could just rewind and fix it. She cleared the laptop off their small table while the food cooked, dumping it on the passenger seat out of the way, for now. It kept getting in their way no matter what they tried to do with it.

Chloe's beautiful figure appeared in the bedroom doorway, wearing nothing but a blue shirt and underwear. She yawned and stretched, touching the roof of their RV with her fingertips.

"Morning birthday girl." Max smiled, putting a glass of orange juice on the table.

"Morning..." Chloe mumbled, looking at the mess Max had making in their tiny kitchen. "You've been busy."

"Sit down, do nothing, or you'll get in trouble." Max grinned, moving aside so Chloe could sit at their table. The blunette gave her a kiss on the cheek as she passed, a smile on her pretty features.

"I thought this was my birthday?" Chloe asked.

"It is, which is why I'm treating you." Max said, putting a box with a black bow on the table in front of her girlfriend. "Happy Birthday!"

Chloe wasted no time in opening her present, pulling the bow off the box and opening it along the hinges. She gasped audibly as she got her first look at the necklace Max had bought her the day before. Chloe took the small feather shaped pendant out of the box, admiring the intricate details on the silver feather and the rose near to the chain. She put her hand to her mouth, choking back a sob.

"Oh my God Max..." She said, looking at her beaming girlfriend. "This is... fucking awesome." She almost leapt out of her seat to hug Max, who happily embraced her girlfriend.

"I thought it was a nice replacement for the bullets you gave me." Max said, her voice muffled by Chloe's shirt.

"It... reminds me of Rachel's earring." Chloe admitted, releasing her girlfriend to look at the necklace. "And I fucking love it."

Max hadn't thought of Rachel's earring when she'd bought it, but it jumped out at her once she'd seen it and thought Chloe might like it. She was glad to hear the happiness in her voice, even if it did remind her of Rachel. She took the necklace from her girlfriend's hands, releasing the clasp. Standing on her tiptoes she carefully put it around her girlfriend's neck and closed the clasp. Chloe took the opportunity to kiss her passionately on the lips, which Max was more than willing to return.

"You're fucking awesome Max." Chloe said, releasing the brunette from their embrace.

"There's more to come today." Max grinned, returning to the cooking while Chloe rushed into their bedroom to admire her new necklace in the mirror at the bottom of the bed.

After breakfast they got dressed to go out to a midday screening at one of the local cinemas, picking something that Chloe wanted to see. It was the first movie they'd gone to see together since setting off on their road trip, though they didn't actually get to watch any of it. Chloe was far more interested in acting like a teenager still and making out with Max in the back row. Not like Max was complaining or putting up any resistance.

They then returned to the RV, where Max sequestered herself away in the bedroom while she got ready for their dinner meal. While she was in the bedroom she first used their laptop to find the number to make reservations, where they were fortunate to get the last available table. Then she started getting ready. She'd bought a dress the day before which she thought Chloe might like, sneaking it past the distracted blunette so she had no idea what Max would be wearing for her birthday meal.

She pulled the beige dress out of its bag and laid it delicately on the bed, admiring the micro triangular pattern and the corset that would emphasize her waist. It had a low neckline so she could show off her bullet necklace without it looking like she was trying too hard, with buckle straps to go over her shoulders. Lace trimming was used to detail it perfectly, and yet she was afraid it wouldn't look good on her. She stripped down to her underwear and removed her bra, picked up the dress and carefully put it on, tightening the straps over her shoulders and pulled the satin ribbons to tighten up the corset. She turned to look in the mirror, checking to see if it really did her body justice. She looked down at her legs, the dress only came down to her knees and she wondered if she should wear heels or her black shin high boots again. The black would certainly stand out against her dress, unless she borrowed Chloe's black jacket. She decided to ask Chloe and opened the bedroom door.

"Shin high boots, or heels?" She asked, posing in the doorway.

Chloe looked round and her jaw almost dropped. "Holy... wow Max. Uhm..." The punk looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, then smirked. "Neither, I wanna rip you out of that dress right now." She started approaching Max, a cheeky look in her sparkling blue eyes.

"Nuh uh... you need to help me pick my shoes, and... you'll get to rip me out of it later." Max said, retreating into the bedroom as her girlfriend approached.

"Shin high boots, you can wear my jacket... and it's my birthday." Chloe smirked, entering the bedroom and closing the door behind her.

"Which means you have to be good." Max replied, gently placing her hands on Chloe's chest to hold her off. "You'll get the rest of your presents later." Max grinned, kissing Chloe's collarbone.

Chloe reluctantly gave up her pursuit, but only after Max slipped past her and shut her in the bedroom to get herself ready. As much as Max wanted to give in to taking her gorgeous girlfriend to bed, she had other plans for the night, and she didn't want either of them worn out too soon. She busied herself tidying up their RV, cleaning away the kitchen utensils she'd used to make breakfast and failed to clean away properly afterwards. If she didn't do it, nobody would. She found another home for the laptop so she could sit in the comfy passenger seat, waiting for her girlfriend to finally appear from the bedroom.

When Chloe did open the door, it was Max's turn to look at her girlfriend, stunned to her chair. The normal punk clothes Chloe normally wore had been tossed aside for one night only. She was wearing a beautiful deep blue, form fitting pencil dress, which was topped with intricate black lace. She'd put her necklace over the top of it so Max could see it.

"What do you think?" Chloe asked, biting her bottom lip anxiously. "Not too much?"

"When... where... oh my god Chloe you look... fucking... amazing!" Max said, unable to find just exactly how she wanted to describe her girlfriend.

"While you were sneaking around getting your dress, I did some sneaking of my own." Chloe grinned.

"Give me a twirl!" Max ordered. Chloe complied and turned gently on the spot. "I am the luckiest girl in the world." She said, staring at the beautiful girl before her.

"I think that's my title." Chloe grinned, walking the length of their RV to stand Max up and kiss her lovingly. "I bought my own knee high boots to match you by the way."

"You just don't want to show off those legs." Max said, nuzzling Chloe's nose gently.

"You really sure you want to go out tonight?" Chloe asked, her fingers gently tracing Max's shoulders. "We could get take out, cuddle up in bed..."

"We did that last night." Max smirked. "I know where your mind is going Price. It's not happening. We've got reservations, so let's get a move on."

"Alright, after you SuperMax." Chloe said, retrieving her new boots from behind the drivers seat.

"You think we're walking?" Max laughed. "Fuck no... a taxi is picking us up in fifteen minutes."

"Sneaky..."

"Time Traveler." Max smirked, grabbing her camera bag.

Chloe had no idea just how much Max had decided to use of the five thousand Mr Amber had given them to afford the night out she had planned, and until the end of the night she still wouldn't know. The restaurant was really upscale, something neither of them was used to, but Max was glad she'd got the last table. The waiters were really nice and good to have a laugh with. They could tell this was a real treat for the two girls, helping make suggestions from the menu as well as the choice of drink. Chloe spent the whole night playing with the necklace Max had bought her, smiling happily the whole time. It was an almost intoxicating feeling, all night they were smiling at each other, making small gestures of their love. Holding hands, kissing each others hands, lost in each others eyes only for a waiter to come along and cough politely. It was surreal, a perfect night to Chloe's twentieth. But it wasn't over yet, and Max was really looking forward to the next surprise.

"Aren't we getting a taxi back to the RV?" Chloe asked as Max walked her casually down the street, Chloe's jacket over her shoulders to keep her warm.

"Not tonight..." Max said, holding her girlfriend's hand firmly, their fingers laced together again.

"Then where are we going?" Chloe said, looking at Max suspiciously.

"Well... the RV is our home, and while it's nice to travel with our home I figured tonight... we should do something a little different." Max smirked, stopping outside one of the hotels.

"How different?"

"I booked us into this hotel." Max grinned. "Penthouse, for the next two nights."

"You're fucking kidding me?" Chloe said, looking up at the large building. "How did you...?"

"I've used a little bit more than I should have from that five grand, and a few cheeky rewinds... trying to get the funds together for tonight. I really really wanted to give you a good birthday." Max said, blushing slightly.

"Oh my God Max..." Chloe hugged her tightly. "But... we didn't bring a change of clothes?"

"Will we need any?" Max smirked sweetly. "I mean... are we really going to be leaving our penthouse suite?"

"Oh..." Chloe said as Max started pulling her into the lobby.

"Oh." Max repeated, smiling seductively.

"I can agree to this."

"I bet you can." Max laughed.

* * *

 

When they stepped inside the penthouse suite even Max was amazed at the incredible view they were given of the city. It was like a dream, she had no idea how they'd gone from the RV Park to this, then remembered it wasn't at all what she'd told Chloe. She had to remember to thank her Dad every day for the next five years just for agreeing to his daughter's wild birthday plan for Chloe. Max took her camera out of her bag slyly, watching her girlfriend looking out of the huge windows onto the city streets below them. It was a beautiful shot, and she just so happened to have her camera in hand. Chloe turned just after she heard the click of the camera, her eyes bright with tears, a large smile stretched across her beautiful lips. Max didn't have a chance to put her camera away properly before Chloe had almost lift her up and kissed her so deeply Max almost forgot to breathe.

All of the anxiety waiting to see how her girlfriend would react dissipated in that extravagant moment, blown away by the relief her soulmate loved what she'd done. The camera fell into the bottom of the bag and Max's hands found the sides of Chloe's face, holding her in the passion of their kiss. It was electrifying, all of her nerves seemed to be reacting to the connection between them. She couldn't explain it, she didn't want to even think about it, she just poured all of that energy back into their kiss, feeling the tip of Chloe's tongue against her own.

Chloe slowly broke their kiss, but only to take hold of Max's hands and guide her slowly into the waiting bedroom. She had that magnificent sparkle in her blue eyes, the sparkle that told Max she wasn't going to be getting out of that bedroom tonight. She released Chloe's hands to remove an item from her camera bag before dropping the bag on the couch as they passed it, never taking her own eyes off of Chloe's, hoping the blunette could see how much she loved her, how much she cared about her.

"There's one more gift... before you get to unwrap me." Max said softly, holding the small box in her hands tightly. Chloe looked into her eyes, a curiosity mingling with the sparkle.

"What's that?" Chloe asked quietly, glancing down at the box.

Max carefully placed the gift in Chloe's shaking hands, her own nerves showing as she moved her shaking hand away. Chloe looked down at her gift, biting her lip in a more worried kind of way, her eyebrows furrowed slightly. She held it in her right hand, the left hovering over the top, unable to bring herself to open the box.

"It's not a trap." Max smiled, but she could hear the worry in her own voice.

Chloe huffed out a breath, as though steeling herself for the task and quickly snapped the lid back on it's hinges. A small gasp escaped her lips as she looked at the black and silver ring. It was adorned with a single celtic symbol of love on the outside, while the inside was engraved. _Chloe & Max Forever_. Chloe choked back a sob and pulled her girlfriend into the tightest embrace they'd ever shared.

"You..." Chloe started to say, but couldn't complete whatever she was trying to say.

"Chloe Price, I love you. I would not be here right now without you." Max said, her voice slightly muffled by Chloe's dress.

"I love you too Max, and I wouldn't be here without you either." Chloe sobbed, tilting Max's head back and looking intoher eyes. "I'm yours forever." She smiled through the tears and kissed Max lovingly.


	7. Timelines

After two nights of peaceful bliss with Chloe, Max didn't want to get out of bed. The last day had been like a dream, a constant high of emotions that wouldn't return to normal, lost in the embrace of each other's bodies. It had been worth every dollar to enjoy Chloe's birthday as well as they did. She lay on her back, her eyes on the sleeping girl beside her, the punk was turned towards her with her arm draped over Max's stomach. A year ago she would never have believed she'd see Chloe again, nevermind waking up in a Las Vegas penthouse suite with her, a room that had cost a small fortune on top of the RV her Dad had helped fund. Now that she thought about it, she had no idea where her Dad was getting the money to help them out so much. It was another mystery on top of the Prescott, James Amber shit that kept creeping its way back into her head.

She rolled onto her left side to look at Chloe's face better as she slept, trying to lose her thoughts by admiring her girlfriend so the theories wouldn't consume her once more. Max couldn't believe how lucky she was to have her, but she knew how much it had cost as well. _Am I really starting to weigh Chloe's life in lives I've taken?_ She thought darkly. _I've watched a tornado destroy a town, to keep you safe. I've killed men, to keep you safe. How much more is life going to throw at us before it realises I will not give you up?_ She lightly caressed Chloe's cheek, causing the girl to stir slightly and move slightly closer to Max. _How much more do I have to do so we can live our lives?_ She placed her forehead to Chloe's, their noses touching gently. _You killed Frank for me, and I rewound it so you wouldn't live with that guilt. I always find a way for you._

Chloe's lips gently pressed against her own, cutting off her thoughts. The blue haired punk was an instant source of joy for Max, her light in the darkness.

"Sleep well?" Max asked, gently nuzzling her girlfriend's nose.

"Best night's sleep in a while." Chloe answered, returning the affection. "Shame we have to checkout today."

"At least I'll get to see you in that dress again." Max smiled, lightly tracing her finger over Chloe's exposed tattoo. "Because you look hella awesome in it."

"Play your cards right and I'll wear another one for your birthday." Chloe retorted, planting a sweet peck on Max's lips.

"I'm looking forward to it." Max giggled.

Chloe raised her right hand to look at the ring she'd put on two nights ago, and never taken off. One of the two gifts Max had given her to show her love.

"Still like it?" Max asked quietly.

"I'm never taking it off." Chloe replied, kissing her again. "You spent so much on me."

"You're worth every dollar, and more." Max looked into her blue eyes, wishing they didn't have to get out of this bed again.

When Max's phone alarm finally went off they reluctantly got out of the bed, pulling on their underwear and helping each other with their dresses, getting ready to return to their RV. Max took every opportunity to kiss her girlfriend, happy that she'd managed to give her the birthday she wanted to. It was a major success in a life filled with grief. Chloe had lost her father, then Max, then Rachel, then her mother. Her only gain had been Max, and she could never make up for the five years she failed her. She watched her girlfriend pulling on her boots, and couldn't help but wonder. _If I could go back and save Rachel, could I save your mom too? Could I help improve your life?_ She bit her lip, thinking of the possibilities. _No you idiot, last time you did that Chloe ended up in a car crash and paralysed. You could make things worse._

"Come on then SuperMax, back to the Time Machine." Chloe grinned, reaching out her hand for Max to take.

"Time Machine huh?" Max said, snatching up her camera bag and happily lacing her fingers between Chloe's as the blunette guided her towards the penthouse door.

"Our RV needed a cool name." Chloe laughed, stopping at the door to pull Max into a loving embrace. "This has been the best two days of my life Max. You... have out done yourself."

"I could have done a little better, with a little more time." Max winked playfully.

"Couldn't just rewind?" Chloe smiled.

"Not if you can't remember it, no." Max said, standing on her tiptoes to kiss her girlfriend's lips. "I want to share our memories, not have memories because of you." She whispered.

A loud knock echoed through the door, causing them both to look at it in surprise.

"Wow... they're really pushy about checkout." Chloe said, releasing Max to open the door.

Max and Chloe both took an involuntary step backwards into the room. Sean Prescott was standing in the doorway, a harsh smile on his face. Max instinctively reached for her camera bag, trying to grab any picture to photo jump back. Chloe stood between Prescott and her girlfriend, a physical barrier to stop the businessman from entering their room. Sean merely opened his hands, palms up to show he had no weapons of any kind.

"Hello Miss Price, Miss Caulfield." He said politely. "I've come alone, you have nothing to fear from me."

"What the fuck do you want?" Chloe demanded.

"This really isn't a conversation for the hallway. Please, may I enter?" He asked. Max had found their most recent picture together and held it tightly in her hand. Now would be a good time to get information and she could always use the photo to get them away from this man.

"Let's... hear him out." Max said, placing her other hand on Chloe's bare arm. "I can always fix this." She whispered quietly, hoping only Chloe would hear her.

Chloe stepped back, taking hold of Max's hand protectively, allowing the businessman to enter. Sean closed the door behind him and walked confidently over to the minibar in the kitchen area. Max circled around the couch, keeping something between her and this man, while Chloe remained closer to the door. She obviously didn't trust him.

"Drinks?" Sean asked, taking one of the small whiskey bottles from the fridge and a glass from a cupboard. "No?" He shrugged and poured his glass, then returned to the living area, sitting down in the chair facing the two of them.

"What do you want?" Max asked, standing behind the couch with Chloe.

"Mr Amber unfortunately committed suicide last night." Prescott said. Max placed her hand over her mouth in shock. "I had nothing to do with it, despite what you've possibly heard."

"Bullshit." Chloe retorted, holding Max gently.

"I had the utmost respect for Arcadia Bay's DA. We were on the same side over many issues, including your drug dealing friends." Sean said, looking at Chloe specifically. "But I didn't come here to be a mailman."

"How did you find us?" Max demanded.

"You gave us the slip after your escapade at the RV Park, but your father was more than willing to accept some money to keep you safe. Considering the incident at Arcadia Bay."

"Fuck..." Max whispered, her Dad had been dragged into the mess after all and now owed Prescott money.

"You're fortunate I'm the one tracking you, any of the others would have tried the same trick as at the RV Park and you'd be in a fight for your lives." Sean explained. "I am not your enemy here, Miss Caulfield. I am, in fact, here to help."

"How are you here to help?" Max demanded. "I heard your team was at the RV Park too. You tried to have Chloe killed."

"They were there to observe you, not capture or kill. I need your help, and you need answers." He swirled his drink casually, watching the two girls. "I'm offering you a truce. A chance at a new life without all of this pointless chaos."

"What answers could you possibly give?" Chloe said.

"I could explain just how I knew you would be leaving here today. Why Miss Caulfield was accepted into Blackwell Academy. Why Rachel Amber was so important, and many more, but I need your help first." Sean answered.

"What's Rachel got to do with this?!" Chloe shouted, her fists clenched.

"I've told you my terms, Miss Price. Help me, and I will answer all your questions." Sean sipped his drink.

"How could I help you?" Max asked.

"I know about your... abilities... Miss Caulfield. My people witnessed one use of them at the Amber residence, it's why I knew I had to keep track of you."

"Shit..." Chloe said, looking at Max with concern in her eyes.

"Your secret is safe with me, I have no interest in playing around with time. I'd prefer you got away and lived your life in peace." Sean said casually. "So if you help me once, I will give you all the answers I have, set you up a trust fund to go anywhere you want, do whatever you want, and you'll never be troubled again."

"And if I refuse?" Max said.

"I can't be held responsible for what the others do." Sean said, a sad undertone to his voice.

"What others?" Chloe asked. "You haven't told us shit so far!"

"How about... I leave you to think it over?" He stood up and made his way back over to the penthouse door.

"Answer one question, so I know this is legit." Max said, glancing to Chloe momentarily, who showed no sign of what she was thinking.

"Ask away." Sean replied, his hand on the door handle.

"Why is this job so important to you?" She asked carefully.

"Because it will rearrange the balance of power with the others, and I'll be able to keep my promise. You'll be able to do whatever you want." He answered. "That was your one question, when you've made up your mind, this is my number." He placed his card on a small table by the door. "I look forward to hearing from you." He smiled politely, opened the door and left, leaving Max and Chloe standing there dumbfounded.

"He can't be fucking trusted." Chloe said almost straight away, rounding on Max. "No fucking way can we trust him."

"But he may have answers, to why Mr Amber was killed... and why I got into Blackwell too." Max said, pacing the floor. "We can't keep running Chloe."

"Well... fuck, there's nothing we can do now, let's go back to the RV and think. Okay?" Chloe said, gently taking Max's hands.

"Okay, yeah." Max said, allowing her girlfriend to pull her over to the door. Chloe left the card on the side, but Max quickly placed it in her camera bag. _Just in case._

* * *

 

They got back to the RV, where Chloe had Max remain outside while she checked around the interior. Max couldn't help but think about Prescott's offer. Whatever she had to do for him would secure their future, no more running, no more rewinding. She would have that peace she was after, but Chloe wouldn't go along with it.

"All good." Chloe shouted, banging around in the bedroom.

Max slipped inside quietly and closed the door behind her. She put her camera bag on the small table and sat in the passenger seat at the front, her mind racing about all the things Prescott may know that he could tell them. Her Dad had accepted money to try to keep her safe, leading Sean Prescott right to them. They should never have returned to Seattle after Arcadia Bay, they should have gone south straight away.

"Max..." Chloe said softly, squating down in front of her. Max looked at her girlfriend, who had changed back into her normal punkish clothing, the necklace still around her neck, the new ring on her finger.

"I... want to take the offer." Max mumbled, looking slightly past Chloe. "I don't want us to keep running."

"We can't trust him, he'll betray us." Chloe shook her head. "I can't protect you if you willingly walk into that shit."

"But it will mean we can stop running, we can settle down, have lives." Max looked into Chloe's blue eyes, pleading with her to listen. "I want to have a future where I'm not scared of losing you."

"You won't lose me." Chloe argued. "I'm not going anywhere, you can rewind shit, you can photo jump shit away, you will never fucking lose me. I am not leaving you."

"But have we got to go through life constantly on edge? Waiting for the next attack? Planning our every move knowing I may have to fucking erase it? Can we not enjoy moments like last night anymore if there's always the risk I have to delete it?" Max placed her hands on either side of Chloe's neck.

"Then we go fucking dark, we get as much fucking money together and... we go off the grid."

"And I have to lose connection with my parents?" Max asked.

"I..." Chloe looked hurt. "I only have you Max, and I can't fucking... I won't... I... fuck. I can't lose you. I can't. But if you trust Prescott, after everything we've heard... I may end up losing you, and unlike you, I can't fucking rewind it away."

Max gripped Chloe's hands tightly. "You won't lose me Chloe, I will always find my way back to you, I will always find you."

"But don't leave me to begin with." Chloe pleaded, tears starting to fill her eyes. "Don't trust that man."

Max wrapped her girlfriend in her arms, letting the blunette cry into her beige dress. "I won't leave you Chloe." She whispered quietly.

Chloe wiped the tears away on her hands, trying to put her tough girl image back on, but Max could see the cracks in her armour. It broke her heart to think that only a few hours she was the happiest she'd been in years and now she was fighting to keep it all together again. Max kissed her lovingly on the forehead and kept her held close for a while longer, hoping their physical connection would help alleviate some of the punk's worries.

"You... should really get changed." Chloe sniffed, rubbing her eyes some more. "I'd hate to mess up your dress anymore than we have done." She smiled weakly.

"Okay, come with me? Keep talking to me?" Max asked softly, refusing to let her out of her sight.

"Sure you want me perving over you?"

"I'm sure I can manage." Max said, standing up and helping her girlfriend to her feet.

She gently led her into the bedroom and pushed the punk onto the bed so she wouldn't get in her way while she got changed. Chloe lay back on her side of the bed, both of her hands over her eyes as she tried to wipe away the tears she was still failing to suppress. Max hated how all of this was making Chloe feel but there was nothing she could say or do to undo it, they were both opposites about this situation. Chloe wanted to run, Max wanted to stand and fight. _Wow... have I really changed that much?_ She thought as she stripped out of the beige dress. Chloe's hands seemed to part slightly, causing Max to laugh.

"Perv." She said quietly.

"Am not." Chloe retorted, muffled through her hands.

"I can see you looking!" Max almost shouted.

"I was wiping my eyes." Chloe said.

"Dork." Max said, throwing an old shirt at her girlfriend's head, then quickly pulling on a black one to cover up her chest. At least they could still have fun, even though it felt as though their world was coming apart at the seams.

"Should we make tracks?" Chloe asked, sitting up and watching Max pull on her black ripped jeans.

"And go where?" Max asked, sitting on the end of the bed to change her socks.

"Miami? Back to LA for a bit? Anywhere that isn't here." Chloe said, poking Max's back with her toes. She hadn't put her boots back on since changing.

"Let's leave in the morning, in case anything happens tonight." Max said, turning around and crawling up the bed pushing Chloe to lie back down so she could rest her head on Chloe's stomach.

"Worried about being worn out?" Chloe asked tenderly, her left hand going to Max's hair to play with the blue highlight they'd put into it.

"Yeah... you've no idea how it felt stumbling back in here after... that." She said quietly, another memory of one of her kills coming back to her.

"You've never actually told me." Chloe's other hand gently took Max's, lacing their fingers together. Max couldn't help but smile weakly at the connection, despite her dark mood.

"It was like... I couldn't breathe. Like my chest was really tight. Every step would make my head feel like it was about to split open." She closed her eyes as the memory came back to her, the sick feeling in her stomach, the feel of the blood on her skin. She gripped Chloe's hand tightly as the heard the gunshots echo around her mind. "I never... never... want to feel like that again."

Chloe pulled her slightly higher on her body, resting Max's head over her heart so she could wrap an arm around the brunette a little better, though she continued to play with her hair lovingly. Max nuzzled softly against Chloe's chest, never opening her eyes. She wanted to get lost in her warm embrace, smell her scent and taste her lips, but the memories were too close right now, too real as she tried to think of their way out of this chaos. _If we run... I'll have to keep fighting. I will feel like that again one day._ She thought, listening to the steady heartbeat of her girlfriend.

"Sounds rough." Chloe said. "I can see why you'd want to rest tonight, so that you're on form for tomorrow."

Max smiled again, glad she understood how she was feeling. "Being close to you helps." She said quietly.

"Why did he have to show up today?"

"He knew where we were... because my Dad paid for the hotel, and Prescott must have found where his money had been spent." Max guessed.

"So you didn't rewind that money?" Chloe asked. "You... actually lied to me."

"No, I just... oh fuck." Max mumbled. "I'm so sorry!"

"Max... I'm not mad! You were trying to surprise me, it's fine." Chloe's voice sounded as though she was smiling.

"I... can't lie, and I lied and... I'm so sorry Chloe!"

"Oh for fucks sake Max." Chloe said, pulling the girl up to her so they were face to face. "I'm not mad." She was smiling so beautifully. "I enjoyed every minute of my birthday because of you, so stop apologising for it."

Max looked into those blue eyes and finally allowed a small smile to spread across her worried face. She leaned in and nuzzled her girlfriend's nose playfully. "I suck at lying."

"Yes you do, because you always apologise for it afterwards." Chloe grinned and kissed her softly.

Max reluctantly pulled away after enjoying their small moment. "My Dad... is in debt to Prescott too."

"That really changes things." Chloe admitted.

"If... I do this job, he'll clear the debt with my Dad and we'll be free and clear."

"We hope..."

"I'll take a photo of us for an emergency. Then... we can get out of there."

"How far back will you have to go though?" Chloe asked, concern on her beautiful features.

"To now, let's take the picture now. If it goes wrong, we can come up with a new plan and we won't lose weeks of our memories." Max said, climbing off the bed to get her camera from the dining table. When she returned to the bedroom, Chloe had sat up, her brow furrowed.

"I don't like this idea Max." She said, looking at Max with worry in her eyes. "What if they abduct you? Knock you out? You can't rewind if you're not conscious."

"That's why we'll meet him somewhere public." Max smiled. "Let's at least take the picture."

"Alright, but... let's make it a good one, so I can hide it in my wallet without them thinking anything of it." Chloe smiled, pulling her girlfriend back onto the bed. "If you come over all weird, this whole plan is off."

"Deal." Max said, turning the camera to take a picture of the two of them. Chloe pulled Max into a kiss and Max took the picture.

* * *

 

Chloe and Max sat in the diner booth waiting for Sean Prescott. He'd agreed to the public meeting, but asked Max to bring along a very specific photograph from her Seattle collection. At first Max had no idea which one he meant, until she found a picture dated the day it was taken, something she couldn't recall doing. But it was an older picture, from almost two years ago. Chloe had their intimate selfie in her wallet, tucked away behind the old picture of her and Rachel. At first Max had felt a little disappointed that Rachel's picture took precedence, until Chloe explained it was to make it seem less important if somebody checked her pockets. They'd left Ryan's gun in the RV, they didn't want problems with Prescott or the police.

Max looked out at the night sky, lit up by the lights and attractions of Las Vegas and leaned into her girlfriend gently.

"Maybe we should have left." She whispered, her head on Chloe's shoulder.

"This was your idea, you're the Captain." Chloe whispered back, kissing Max on the side on the head.

"Nice to see you ladies are so punctual." Sean Prescott said, sitting down in the booth opposite them, along with a long haired brunette who seemed very interested in the two girls who were both dressed rather punkish.

"Who's this?" Chloe asked as Max sat up in her seat.

"Amelia Holden. My personal assistant." Sean answered, waving the waiter away.

"And she knows...?"

"Enough." Sean answered.

"We want assurances." Max said. "My Dad's debt is wiped clean, we can leave whenever we want, no tailing, no tracking, no death squads." The assistant suppressed a small laugh.

"All assured, as well as any questions you want to ask." Sean replied.

"What's this job?" Max asked.

"It's actually very simple. You remembered to bring the picture?" Amelia asked.

"Yes." Max said, opening her camera bag, picking out the dated photo and placing it on the table between the four of them.

"This is a nice picture." The woman said, picking it up and flipping it over.

"I'm glad you approve." Chloe said sarcastically. "Why did we need an old photo?"

"A little under a year ago, a grave incident occured in Arcadia Bay. I'm sure you know what I speak of?" Sean asked.

"Rachel Amber went missing." Max answered, placing her right hand on Chloe's knee below the table.

"Correct. I want you to fix it."

"What makes you think I can even do that?" Max asked. At this question Amelia produced a piece of paper from her briefcase and placed it before Max, who stared blankly at it.

"Please read it, Miss Caulfield." Sean said with a smile. "It will all make sense soon."

Max opened the paper carefully and dropped it as soon as she saw the writing inside. It described the details of Rachel Amber's death, where it happened, who did it and how to stop it happening without affecting the timeline. Such as reviving her and replacing her body with a double. It also contained a number of other personal pieces of information to do with Sean Prescott. She looked up at the man, who merely stared back at her.

"Everything in there is what you need to memorise. You will go back in time, you will write a letter with all of that information. You may also write a letter detailing all of your memories, without names, so you can have Miss Price confirm your timeline when you return." Sean said with some authority. "When you return and you've asked your girlfriend those questions, we'll answer all the questions you have until you can't think of anymore or we can't tell you because we don't know."

Max looked at Chloe, who was still reading the letter in front of them, her brow furrowed in concentration and worry.

"This could fuck up the timeline..." Chloe said quietly.

"We've thought of everything. It won't."

"But it could." Max said. "If Rachel is alive... Chloe and I may never..."

"Chloe won't know she's alive either. Otherwise the timeline won't be intact." Amelia said. "Believe us, this will work."

"What makes you the authority on time travel all of a sudden?" Chloe asked.

"We can answer that when Miss Caulfield does her job." Sean said, looking back to Max. "Memorise it, then use your photo."

Max looked at Chloe, and gave her a half-hearted smile. If this is what it took to be free of Prescott, maybe she had no choice. She read and reread the letter over and over until it was all she could think of, then picked up her old photo.

"Max..." Chloe said sadly. "Just remember... I will always love you." A tear rolled down her cheek, she was thinking exactly the same as Max. This was going to ruin everything.

* * *

Max looked around her Seattle room as her vision cleared and quickly got to work. She grabbed the photo, flipped it over and dated it using the date on her phone. Then she grabbed out the nearest pen and paper and started scrawling the message she had been told to deliver. Every piece of information on that letter Sean had shown her she put into her letter, including all of the information about him. As soon as it was done she grabbed another piece of paper and wrote down every good memory she had with Chloe, careful to miss out their names or any incriminating piece of information. When it was done she folded both pieces of paper and grabbed an envelope, writing the address on the front as clearly as she could with no return address.

Then came the hard part, she had to make sure it was posted. She wrote a small note on the letter asking her Dad to post it as soon as possible. Just as she finished she was pulled back to the future, afraid of where she would wake up.

* * *

 

"Max?" Chloe asked softly in her ear. Max turned to look at her girlfriend and quickly wrapped her arms around her neck.

"Did you do it?" Sean asked, looking between the two girls. "Did she do it, Miss Price?"

"Yes, yes I fucking did it." Max said.

"Give her the letters." Sean ordered Amelia, who quickly took two letters out of her briefcase and handed them to the girls.

"These... are..." Max started to say.

"Exactly what you sent to me." Sean answered. "Now we have a plane to catch."

"Wait, what the hell just happened?" Max asked, passing the personal letter to Chloe so she could read it first.

"Have you ever heard of a causal loop?" Sean asked.

"It's where a series of events eventually cause the original event that set off those series of events." Chloe answered, everybody turned to look at her. "What? I did a lot of reading in October, some shit stuck." She said, sitting back with her letter.

"Right first time. You were part of a causal loop. You had already saved Rachel, but you had to do it again to ensure the stability of this timeline." Sean explained.

"Wait... you said Rachel is already alive?" Chloe dropped the letter onto the table. "Why the fuck did she need to go back if Rachel was already alive?"

"To ensure she did it." Amelia explained. "You've closed the loop now, the timeline is safe."

"Safe from what?" Max asked.

"A paradox. We theorised the tornado in Arcadia Bay was the direct result of a traveler causing a paradox." Sean explained. "It was only a theory though, we had to make sure it wasn't true and we'd rather not test a theory that could kill thousands."

"How the fuck did you know it wouldn't wipe out Las Vegas?" Max hissed.

"You weren't just copying down my personal information, Miss Caulfield, you were leaving a set of instructions for me. Dates, times, you gave me everything I needed. I told you, it would change the balance of power. Now I am in a position where I can help you. Do you want it, or not?"

Chloe nudged Max in the side gently and nodded. "Stick to your side of the bargain." Max said weakly.

"Good, but we're not done. We need to go to Portland now." Sean said, standing up and dropping some money on the table. "This is the part I'm sure you're going to like."

* * *

 

With the first part of her job complete, Max and Chloe weren't allowed out of Prescott's sight. They were bundled into a waiting limo and taken to the airport, where they boarded a flight from Las Vegas to Portland in Sean Prescott's private plane. It was the most awkward flight Max had ever endured. Chloe was quietly seething at the thought of Rachel being alive and hadn't tried to contact her at all, while Max couldn't quite understand what she'd just done. She felt tired and numb, like she'd just fought off the killers again.

"Chloe..." She whispered, placing her head on Chloe's shoulder. "I'm really tired."

"You can sleep Miss Caulfield, you'll be quite safe." Amelia said, taking a blanket from under her seat and passing it to Chloe who draped it carefully over Max.

"Yeah... real safe." Chloe muttered, wrapping an arm around Max and holding her close.

"Rachel Amber is quite safe too, Miss Price."

"If she's been alive for the last eleven months, where's she been?" Chloe asked. "She's my best friend, she'd have contacted me if she was alive."

"She wasn't allowed to make contact with you, or she'd have upset the timeline." Amelia explained.

"Always with the timeline." Chloe laughed. "Max has been rewinding shit for months and the timeline is fine."

"With rewinds, yes. But what she can do with those photo jumps can change everything." Amelia said. "I've only just learned about it and it scares me to death thinking a young girl could erase my future."

"I'm still awake, you know." Max mumbled, opening one eye to look at the women. "I'm not exactly using photo jumps to kill my enemies."

"No... you're using rewinds to kill tactical teams without them getting to fire a shot." Amelia retorted.

"That's enough, Amelia." Sean said, snapping his phone shut. He'd spent most of the flight on it so far, talking to a Doctor. "The poor girl has just ensured our future, let's show her some respect and give her some space. When she would like to ask more questions she can."

"I do actually have a question." Max said, gently placing her arm over Chloe's stomach.

"Go on." Sean said, turning in his seat to get a better view of her.

"Why is Rachel so important? You mentioned it back in the penthouse."

Sean took longer to reply than Max liked. "She could have been the face of Blackwell Academy. She'd have put Arcadia Bay on the map and made it a place for the arts."

"Hard to do now that she's officially dead." Chloe said.

"We have ways around that." Amelia smiled. "Neither of you need to worry about the future now, you're set for life. Just sit back and enjoy the flight."

Max felt her eyes growing heavier. She hadn't eaten or drank anything while in Prescott's company, but she knew this feeling of overwhelming exhaustion. Whatever she'd done in the past had taken its toll on her tonight. Even if she wanted to she wouldn't be able to use their emergency photo. They were stuck, for now.


	8. Tempora Finis

Max sat in the darkness of the free space, images zooming in and out of focus like photographs flying past her. Things that had happened appearing in crystal clarity before her eyes, then moving aside for something that could have happened, only for it to fracture into a million pieces. A dark part of her mind told her she should have been a Beta-Max, a Max to be replaced by the original who had changed the timeline originally, where Rachel Amber wasn't alive. She needed answers and like an angel Rachel Amber materialised before her. Sitting down with her sweet smile on her face.

"Explain." Max ordered, her eyes locked on the spirit of a girl she never knew.

"Ask the question." Rachel answered.

"Am I a Beta-Max? To be replaced?" She asked.

"No. Your experiences of a 'Beta-Max' are when you have actively changed the timeline from its original course. When you saved William, you would have new memories yourself. When you stopped Chloe going into the Vortex Club party, you would have created new memories for yourself."

"But the timeline is different..." Max reasoned.

"Max, you already created a causal loop, twice. The first was when you went back to allow William to die, you pulled Chloe aside and told her you'd always be there for her. That was already part of your own timeline. Then you did it again with the note in your wardrobe. Both of those things were already in your timeline, you just had to finish the process of creating them."

"This is so fucking confusing." Max laughed, looking at the pictures slowly shattering and being created around her.

"Imagine what you can do when you understand these concepts." Rachel laughed.

"Oh that will be a cold day in hell." Max mused, watching a picture of Rachel, Chloe and herself shatter into dust.

"For your power to activate, you needed Chloe. For Chloe to be in that bathroom, she had to lose Rachel. For Rachel to live, she needed you." The spirit-Rachel explained. "The three of you are part of this cycle, you needed each other."

"Will I... remember any of this?" Max asked.

"Only the information you're starting to understand. You won't remember me, you won't remember our conversation." Rachel stood up and walked through the dust of the shattering pictures. Max decided to follow, to try to understand as much as possible.

"So... my timeline... Rachel never died, I always told Chloe how much she meant to me, and that note was always in the wardrobe?" Max asked again.

"Correct. Looped events in time, insignificant and critical, subtle yet life changing." Rachel said, kicking the dust aside playfully.

"What are all these pictures though?" Max asked, watching a picture of Chloe and Rachel in LA shatter.

"Timelines, possible futures, you're starting to understand your powers but they're still developing." The girl stopped in a pile of the dust and gently took Max's hands. Rachel's were warm to the touch, just like Chloe's.

"So... these are things that could be, if I changed the timeline? Wouldn't that cause a paradox?"

Rachel laughed at the question and shook her head. "No."

"But the tornado?"

"You'll forget this again... but that tornado was of my creation, I had to test you, to see if you had the fire in your heart to stand against the worst. You stood on that cliff with Chloe and you proved you do. It sealed your powers, they're yours." Rachel smiled and gently shook her hands. "Max... for somebody like you there is no paradox, only shared memories lost. If you choose to walk alone through time, you can."

"But Prescott said it was a paradox that caused the tornado."

"What does that trumped up business douche know?" Rachel said. "He doesn't know jack shit. I'm your authority on this, not him. So ask me something else, before you have to go."

"What do you mean by walk alone through time?" Max asked.

"You can do so, if you want. Right now you're... brute forcing it. Repeating what you already know instead of trying something new. I'd prefer you walked with Chloe in time, personally." Rachel released one of her hands and walked with her through more memories appearing around them.

"I've tried, but it feels as though she's anchored to the timeline." Max said, kicking some dust aside and onto Rachel's shoes, who then kicked some back at her playfully. They were like children playing in the snow.

"That's because you've not given yourself over to her completely. You've not gifted her a part of yourself." Rachel smiled. "I thought you'd have caught onto that by now."

"Chloe and I... we're always intimate, always close." Max blushed.

"Oh yeah, you're very intimate. But you haven't truly given yourself to her. You're always holding back, protecting a piece of yourself. Let go, trust her implicitly and I'd bet you're in for one hell of a surprise." Rachel smirked. "It's a shame you won't remember this to try it... you'll... just have to get there the long way."

"Why me? Why did I get these powers? Why not Chloe?" Max asked, the question was burning inside her, she needed an answer.

"Chloe could change the world, you just have to give her the chance." Rachel said cryptically.

"But why me?" Max asked again.

"Why not you? You've shown you're willing to do what it takes with them, willing to break the rules. Why should it be anybody else?"

Max sat down on a pile of the dust that had grown steadily higher as they talked, her mind racing with all of the information this spirit-Rachel had been giving her. So much she had learned in such a short space of time, yet she would forget most of it when she woke up. It was exasperating.

"Will I ever come here... and not forget it all?"

"When you can understand free space, the chaos is represents. Yes. Eventually." Rachel answered honestly, but she looked sad, almost in pain. "But I'd suggest you focus on walking through time with a partner, than coming here alone."

"Not like I'd remember your advice." Max muttered, looking at a picture of Chloe which remained floating some distance away. "Will... will I ever lose her?"

Rachel looked round at the image and shook her head. "No. But she will lose you."

"What?" Max asked. The edges of the free space had started to grow brighter, her time here was almost over.

"I've answered what I can, but your mind... it's still struggling. If we meet again, it may be the last." Rachel said as the space they stood on slowly disappeared. "Be careful, Max."

* * *

 

Max woke slowly as the vehicle rumbled along. She was snuggled against her girlfriend with the blanket still draped over her, though she had no idea how they'd got her off the plane and into another vehicle. She opened her eyes slowly and looked around the spacious interior of a limo. Sean Prescott was once again on his phone as Amelia passed him files as he asked for them. It was strange being in the car with the man, like she was some business associate of his.

She turned her head and nuzzled Chloe's arm gently to make her aware that she was awake. The punk squeezed her side gently and kissed the top of her head. "Sleep okay?" Chloe asked.

"Mhm. Where are we going?" Max asked, looking at Amelia who had taken an interest in the brunette once more.

"A hotel. They won't tell me more than that." Chloe said.

"Where are we going?" Max said loudly, getting Sean's attention.

"A hotel." He said, then returned to his phonecall.

"Asshole." Max muttered.

She watched the city pass by beyond the tinted windows, trying to get a bearing on where they were in Portland. She couldn't tell, it was the middle of the night and she could barely see the rooftops from her position against Chloe. She was reluctant to move, to break the physical connection with her girlfriend. They needed each other close right now, they were out of their comfort zone and in the deep end.

The limo came to a stop outside a large building and the door was opened from the outside. Sean and Amelia exited first, followed by Max and then Chloe, who quickly took hold of Max's hand. They followed Sean into the lobby, he was glad handing everybody he knew, greeting the staff politely as he passed them.

"He owns the hotel." Amelia said, falling back into step with Chloe and Max. "Nobody here will give you any trouble, you have free reign during your stay."

"How nice." Chloe said. "Does that mean we can leave if we want to?"

"Not yet." Amelia looked at them sideways. "Your job isn't complete."

They all entered one of the elevators, where Max and Chloe stood behind Sean and Amelia. The woman pressed the penthouse button and smiled into the mirrored glass at Max.

"Things will seem strange at first." Sean started to say. "But I will explain everything soon."

"You keep saying that." Chloe said, squeezing Max's hand. "I still don't know what else is needed for this job."

The doors opened and Sean walked briskly down the corridor to the oak doors at the end, the girls all following behind him. Anticipation was building in Max's heart, but she also felt as though a coil was slowly unwinding, like a tether was slowly being relaxed and a tautness released. It felt strange, a mix of two competing emotions. Sean opened the doors and allowed the women to enter. The living area of the penthouse was huge, a couch and chairs with a large TV on one side of the room, while the other had a dining area and kitchen carefully laid out. It was an apartment really.

"You'll be staying here, your room is through there on the left." He said pointing to one of the bedrooms. "If you need a change of clothes we are happy to provide."

"How long are we staying?" Max asked, looking around the living area of the penthouse curiously.

"Come this way." Sean said, refusing to answer her question.

They followed him down a hallway past their bedroom, which Chloe looked into curiously before catching up to Max, and stopped outside a closed door. Sean gave them a soft smile and opened the door, allowing them into a room laid out with medical equipment. There were a couple of chairs alongside a bed with a girl lying in it, but her face was completely bandaged up. A nurse stood alongside the woman, a look of concern on her youthful features.

"You may remove the bandages now." Sean said with a nod.

Max held onto Chloe, her heartbeat racing in her chest. She knew who was lying in that bed before the first golden locks fell out of the bandage. Chloe gasped when she saw the living face of Rachel Amber, her eyes still closed. Max couldn't react fast enough when Chloe turned on Sean and punched him as hard as she could, then grabbed at his suit.

"What the fuck did you do to her?!" Chloe shouted as Amelia came rushing down the corridor.

"We..." Sean pushed the punk off with the help of his assistant. "She was put in a medically induced coma after she almost died from the drugging." He answered, straightening up his suit. Max sat in one of the chairs, looking at Rachel's hand on top of the covers. "Nurse, you may leave." He said, waving the woman out of the room. She didn't stick around, she seemed a little shocked at Chloe's magnificent outburst.

"Take a seat, Miss Price." Amelia said, keeping an arm between the punk and her boss. Chloe reluctantly sat down beside Max, forced to look at her best friend in the bed.

"She will wake up soon, we've already dialled back the drugs that have kept her asleep for so long." Sean said, walking around to the other side of the bed. "If you can control your outbursts... you can remain with her while she wakes."

"You couldn't fucking stop me." Chloe said defiantly, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Why leave her like this?" Max asked, gently taking Rachel's hand in her own. It was strange, she felt like she already knew the girl.

"We couldn't be sure we could stop her from contacting Miss Price, and that would have created some problems, as I'm sure you're aware." Sean answered. "If you need me, I will be getting some rest, it has been a long day." He walked back around the bed to the doorway, but stopped short of leaving. "Feel free to stay with her all night, you won't be stopped."

Max listened as the door closed behind him, leaving them both alone with Rachel.

"I never... thought..." Chloe started to say, gently placing her hand on top of Max's and Rachel's. "Oh my God Max, she's alive."

"But who died to save her..." Max whispered, thinking of the instructions she'd given Prescott. "We still saw a body."

"Oh..." Chloe sighed sadly.

Rachel stirred slightly, causing Max and Chloe to look up at the girl expectantly, but she didn't open her eyes. They stayed the night with her, watching and hoping the blonde would eventually wake up. Max's hand never left Rachel's, an unexplainable bond between the two girls who didn't know each other. She couldn't explain it, it just felt so natural to her. Chloe didn't seem to mind, she paced the room, hugged Max, paced some more, sat down, got back up. Max couldn't help but laugh at how impatient Chloe could be.

"Sit down, try to sleep." Max suggested.

"You should sleep, keep your energy up. I can stay on watch." Chloe said, sitting back down beside Max and kicking her boots off.

"I slept on the plane." Max smiled, leaning over to kiss her girlfriend on the cheek. "Get some sleep Chloe."

"Ugh... fine. But wake me straight away." She ordered, trying to get comfortable on the chair.

Max kept up a constant vigil as Chloe slept uncomfortably beside her. Every flicker of movement would raise Max out of her thoughts to look at the blonde, until eventually she stopped checking, used to the natural movements of the girl who was asleep. She couldn't help but think back to those couple of days when she had been seeing Rachel in place of Chloe, in the shower behind her, in the picture, in her bed. It felt so strange to be sitting beside that girl now, a girl who didn't know her. What was even stranger was when Max heard a soft groan and looked up into those beautiful hazel eyes, eyes that instantly recognised her and put a smile on the blonde's face.

"Hey Max." Rachel said weakly.

"You... know who I am?" Max asked quietly, trying not to wake Chloe just yet.

"I've been dreaming about you..." Rachel whispered. Max looked around the room and saw a cup of water on a table with a straw in it. She took the cup and gently placed the straw to her lips. "Thanks..." The blonde smiled. "Always thinking ahead."

"I do my best." Max returned the smile weakly, sitting back down in the chair. Rachel's hand took hers and squeezed very gently.

"You've been looking after our girl." Rachel said, nodding to the sleeping blunette.

"She's a handful." Max grinned. "But I'm doing my best."

"You're doing fine."

"How do you know all this?" Max asked curiously.

"I... don't know. I've been dreaming about you both, in LA. In Arcadia Bay." She took a breath. "And that night in the RV... you moved like a pro."

"I had to kill... all those people." Max said sadly.

"To save her." Rachel said. "I was so proud of you."

"How is this even possible?" Max said, standing up to stroke Rachel's hair gently. "Did you... see me when Chloe and I were...?"

Rachel blushed and nodded. "I felt like I was there with you, such a wonderful emotional connection. I don't... understand why you could see me in place of Chloe though... I don't understand that."

Max nodded, she knew she would never get all of the answers so easily. "I..."

"You saved me, so don't start apologising." Rachel smirked. "I do know that about you."

"Oh Rach!" Chloe almost shouted, jumping out of her chair to hug the blonde.

"Careful! I'm still a little tired." Rachel responded, putting an arm around her best friend. "Max has been... a darling." She smiled from over Chloe's shoulder.

"You said you'd wake me." Chloe said softly, looking at Max.

"I stopped her, I wanted a moment with your girlfriend." Rachel said, gently pushing Chloe off her and stroking her cheek. "Call me selfish, but I wanted her to myself for a while."

"You two... know each other?" Chloe asked, looking between them.

"Not quite." Rachel said, taking Max's hand again. "This is the first time we've met, but I feel like I've known her all my life."

"What... the fuck is going on?" Chloe said, sitting down in her chair.

"There's... a connection between us." Max said carefully. "She's been... dreaming about us for the last few months."

"Dreaming?"

"About you both." Rachel nodded. "Though mostly from Max, if you weren't in the room with her, I couldn't see you."

"That is some fucked up shit. Wait... so you've seen us...?" Chloe blushed, followed closely by Max.

"Oh yeah... I've seen you." Rachel laughed. "I wish I hadn't... you two may be hot in bed, but being an observer to that is not fun."

"Just make me feel worse, why don't you?" Max smiled.

"How is this..." Chloe started to say.

"No idea." Max answered for Rachel. "But maybe Prescott has an idea?"

"We need to leave." Rachel said suddenly, trying to pull the IV from her arm.

"Whoa... whoa, why?" Max said, trying to slow the blonde down.

"He was tracking you through your ATM rewinds, he knew where you'd be and when. He's not about to let a time traveler go, not if he can get his way." Rachel said, throwing the covers back and trying to get out of the bed.

"You're in no condition to walk." Chloe said, trying to stop her too.

"Then fucking carry me, but we have to go!" Rachel hissed.

"How do you know all this?" Max asked, crossing her arms until she had an answer.

"Because the dumb fucking idiot said it in my hospital room, and I wasn't quite as unaware as he thought." Rachel said, waving Chloe over to pick her up.

"And where the fuck are we going to go from here? We left the RV in Vegas, we've got no money, and if he can track my ATM rewinds we won't get far." Max said, pulling her camera bag's strap tight to her chest.

"He can only track them when they're reported, we'll always stay ahead of him if we keep moving." Rachel said, wrapping her arms around Chloe's neck as the blunette picked her up awkwardly.

"Fucking hell Rach, what have you been eating?" Chloe said absently.

"Max... you have to get us out of here." Rachel pleaded. "I can't stay here, I won't let them keep me here." Max looked at Chloe, who nodded.

"No photo jumping this shit Max, we have to get her out."

"Fuck... fuck, fuck, fuck..." Max muttered, pacing the room, preparing for the worst she would have to do. "Do exactly as I say, when I say it, no questions. Okay?" She said.

"You're the boss Max." Chloe nodded.

"Stay here, recon time." Max said, opening the door and closing it behind her.

She walked through the penthouse carefully, listening for the slightest sound as she turned the corner into the main living room. The early morning light cast a strange glow around the place, but it gave her an idea of the time of day. She looked into one of the other open doors, it was an office space. She was sorely tempted to slip inside and start looking through the files, she could always rewind to save the time. Carefully she slipped into the room without knocking against the door and began looking through the files on the desk, looking for anything on Rachel, Chloe or herself. She found old files, names of people she used to know at Blackwell. Victoria Chase, Taylor Christensen, Courtney Wagner, Dana Ward. She flicked through the files, trying to find out why Prescott had them. It kept mentioning their grades and something called essence. A sharp click came from the hallway and she quickly scarpered out of the room, rushing back through the penthouse to Rachel's room. Then rewound, right up until the door opened from her previous interaction with it. She released the power and closed the door again.

Round 2. She proceeded down the hallway back into the living room for a second time and opened the front door carefully, no alarms, no rushing of guards. She tempted fate and proceeded down the corridor to the elevator and pushed the call button. Then stared at her watch intently, counting the seconds until the lift arrived. The bell pinged, the doors opened, nobody was inside. She returned to Rachel's room for the second time and started rewinding. She watched the door open and went back inside.

"Follow me." She said, Chloe didn't waste a second and followed Max through the penthouse. They slipped out the door and down the corridor to the elevator, where Max pushed the button for a second time.

"How many rewinds?" Chloe whispered.

"Two. Found information. Didn't manage to take pictures... shit, should I rewind again?" Max asked.

"No, get us out." Rachel said as the bell pinged and the doors opened. They slipped inside without a sound.

"What happens after this?" Chloe asked.

"No fucking clue. I wasn't going to ride an elevator up and down trying to plan both sections at once. So if I vanish, you know I rewound."

"Need a time?" Chloe said, indicating her pocket for her phone.

"When the door pings." Max said. Rachel reached carefully into Chloe's pocket and produced the phone for them. On cue the bell pinged, the doors opened and all hell broke loose.

Sean Prescott was in the lobby with some bodyguards. When they saw the elevator doors open they all reached for their weapons and Max dove out of the elevator, rewinding time so Chloe and Rachel weren't in harms way. She released the power and moved quickly, they'd noticed her again, their weapons were raised, she rewound again, using the clock above the desk to measure her rewinds. It was exhausting, painful. Every couple of minutes she had to rewind, over and over trying to break line of sight with one person or another. Finally she found a place, behind a couch nobody was near.

She would have to kill again, she would have to kill and kill until the lobby was clear, and she had until the elevator pinged to do it. She rewound again and set to work. She rushed for one of the bodyguards, rewound, grabbed his weapon. Bang. Checked the time, rushed to another bodyguard, rewound to the moment the bullet hit the other guard, took a gun. Bang. She repeated the process until she'd handled all four bodyguards. Then listened to the people screaming as four armed men suddenly fell to the floor, bullets impacting four different places around the room.

Prescott looked at her, fearful? Stunned? Amazed? She couldn't tell. But she panted heavily at the toll her rewinds were taking on her body.

"What have you done?" Sean said, looking around at his men.

"You... were... going to betray us." Max heaved as the elevator doors opened nearby.

"I promised you a life!" Sean yelled as Chloe came rushing over with Rachel, who gently pulled on Max's jacket to get her moving. "I would have given you all everything!" He bellowed.

"You would have kept me in a cage." Rachel said as Chloe carried her towards the lobby doors, Max trailing behind, exhausted.

Chloe pushed through the doors with Rachel held tight in her arms, Max could see her girlfriend make it out onto the street ahead when she felt a sting in her back before she heard the sound of the weapon fire. Rachel screamed. Chloe yelled, but Max could feel something warm on her front and back, growing slowly down her shirt on both sides. Her brain wouldn't register what had happened. A flash of bright light illuminated Chloe but Max fell forwards onto her chest and couldn't see what came after.

* * *

 

"Welcome back, Max." Rachel said sadly from beside her.

"What happened?" She asked, her eyes too heavy to open right away.

"You were shot." Rachel answered quietly.

"Where's Chloe?" Rachel remained quiet, stoking a deep fear in Max's heart. "Oh no... please no."

"Max... you're in the free space." It was like a light had been switched on behind her eyes, she wasn't tired, she wasn't in pain. She opened her eyes and looked around at all the shattered pictures. There were no new ones. The landscape was just piles of dust and broken frames.

"Am I..."

"No. You're not dead." Rachel said, sitting in one of the dust piles. "But you're close."

"Chloe... is losing me." Max said, remembering their earlier conversation for the first time.

"Yes. She is going to lose you." The voice replied, the image flickering between Chloe and Rachel. "The choices you made saved them both. You fought, again. You were... brilliant."

Max sat down in the dust pile beside the flickering image, staring at the remnants of chaos scattered around her. She didn't want it to end like this. "What happens now? I just... cease to be?" Max asked sadly, watching the dust being picked up by a light wind.

"You can ask me anything you want, before the end." Chloe said, smiling at her. "No secrets."

"Will Chloe live a good life?" Max asked quietly, thinking of the girl she loves. The dust in the air shimmered and formed a weak picture of Chloe, her beautiful blue hair, blue eyes, the necklace and ring Max had bought her, and her beautiful blue dress. Max smiled at the image.

"Yes." Rachel answered. It was strange talking to the same person who had two different voices and looks.

"Could I... travel back and undo my mistake?" Max asked, thinking of trying to save Chloe from the pain.

"You're thinking of displaying an image of a moment here, and photo jumping?" Chloe asked, running her hands through the dust.

"Is it even possible?" Max asked, looking at the clarity on Chloe's features. "Or... at least allow me to live in those moments with Chloe for just a little longer?" The image shifted to their night in the penthouse, that perfect night.

"You're getting lost in the free space, Max."

"Is it possible?" Max asked, staring intently at her girlfriend, hungering to be close to her one more time.

"You can only live within those memories, as an observer. You can never change the outcome. You cannot stop that bullet from killing you."

Max stared at the image, hoping to live within that one moment forever, so she would never lose Chloe and Chloe could keep that memory of her. It shimmered, she could hear their laughter, she could feel their love.

"Max. If you choose this road there is no coming back. You will be lost in the chaos with me." The spirit said, tears rolling down Chloe's cheeks.

"If I'm dying... why wait and become a memory, when I could live in that memory with her? So I can be close to her forever?" Max started to cry, blurring the image and breaking the connection. "I didn't want this... I didn't want her to lose me." The spirit wrapped an arm around the brunette, trying to take away the pain she was now feeling. "I did everything I could not to lose her."

"She will do everything she can not to lose you too." The spirit said. "But... you have to stay strong. You can't give in to doubt."

Max cried quietly on the dust, watching the image break away and return to the gentle winds. She wanted to reach out and touch her girlfriend, to once again feel her warm embrace. Her thoughts returned to that day by the lighthouse, as the tornado ripped the town apart. Chloe had held her close during that time, never letting her go after she had made her choice. She could just imagine the punk girl crying over her body now as her blood slowly slipped away. She'd died instead of Chloe, and Rachel had to witness it.

"Did they make it out?" Max asked, wanting her sacrifice to mean something.

The spirit laughed and nodded. "You all got out Max. You just need to wait..."

"Wait for what?" Max looked at the spirit, it looked like a golden bird.

"Wait for the light."

Max felt a strong heat around her heart, burning away her pain, lightening her heart. The edges of the free space were going blank the dust had settled, the wind was gone.

"It ends." Max muttered.

"No... it begins anew."


	9. The Phoenix

At first she thought the bright light meant there was a heaven and she'd reached it. But the pain in her chest broke that thought, she shouldn't be in any pain in heaven. She took a deep breath, and suddenly a body was upon her, arms wrapping around her shoulders and lips kissing her own. She cracked her eyes open and caught sight of the blue hair dangling across her view. She knew who's lips were pressed so lovingly against her mouth. She kissed back passionately, her fear abating entirely as she became lost in the embrace of her girlfriend.

"Alright Chloe, put her down before you suffocate her." Rachel said from somewhere beside them. Chloe didn't let up her kiss, holding Max as tightly as ever. She didn't complain, this is exactly what she'd wanted during... she couldn't remember... but she could remember how she felt, how she wanted to be so close to Chloe and never apart again. "No really, Chloe, let the poor girl go she is still wounded." The blonde said again, gently prising the two girls apart.

"What... happened?" Max asked, her mouth felt really dry despite Chloe's attempt to give her a drink of saliva.

"You were shot." Chloe said, her eyes were bloodshot red, she'd been crying heavily.

"How am I...?" Max looked around the room and saw Rachel lying on the bed beside her, pale and drawn, no longer wearing the medical gown. Amelia Holden was standing just behind her, looking rather uncomfortable. "What the fuck is she doing here!?" Max tried to sit up, but Chloe held her down.

"I helped get you out, after your own attempt." Amelia said, her arms crossed. "You did a really nice job by the way, I'm sorry we didn't arrive sooner."

"We?" Max asked.

"Holden can we do this later?" Rachel asked. "She's literally just returned from the dead, I think she needs a bit of time to process that kind of shit."

"Sure... I'll be outside." Amelia said. "Nice to see you're back from the dead, Mad Max." The woman said with a smile, then turned and left the three girls alone.

"What... where..." Max started to say, her mind swimming with questions.

"First things first." Chloe said, kissing her girlfriend once again.

"Oh for fucks sakes you two..." Rachel said, lying on her back.

Max gently broke the kiss with her girlfriend and smiled into those beautiful blue eyes, she'd been so close to losing her. "I love you Chloe." She said.

"I love you too Max." Chloe smiled, giving her a quick peck on the lips.

"I thought I'd never get to hear that again." Max admitted, holding her girlfriend's head close to her own.

"So did I. You... scared the shit out of me Max." Chloe said, nuzzling her cheek and nose gently.

"How bad was I?" Max asked, looking at Rachel while Chloe kissed and nuzzled her cheek some more.

"Dead. Dead as can be, they'd given up on you." Rachel said, rolling back onto her side and taking one of Max's hands. It felt like a spark passed between them, tingling her skin.

"How am I..."

"You're not the only one with powers." Chloe whispered, kissing her ear. Max could not complain at Chloe's need for the physical touch, especially considering what she'd just been through.

"When you were shot I felt... a surge... something just lit up, like a... I don't know." Rachel started to explain, she was still missing her iconic blue feather earring. "I didn't know what it was, but I felt it for days as you were dying. I stayed by your side while they tried to save you, I stayed with you after..."

"When you died." Chloe said, a tear dropping onto Max's cheek. She wrapped her arm around Chloe a little more firmly.

"And I cried, I felt like part of myself was drifting away from me. So I grabbed your hand... and I cried and I cried, and I just... released that energy I'd been feeling."

"Next thing we know, you're alive..." Chloe said, looking into Max's eyes with an intensity she'd not seen before.

"You can... revive people?" Max asked, looking at Rachel.

"Only you... so far. I don't feel that energy anymore, it's just... gone. Like I was holding onto something for you." Rachel smiled weakly. "Even if it's a one off thing, I can live with that."

Chloe laughed, but she only had eyes for Max right now. Max kept her girlfriend held close, refusing to release that physical connection they were sharing. She'd escaped the jaws of death, Chloe had been forced to lose her, she wouldn't allow that to happen again. She kept her hand in Rachel's though, something was important there and she couldn't let the blonde go after she'd just saved her life.

"You... saved my life." Max said quietly, smiling at the blonde.

"You saved mine." Rachel smiled back, her hazel eyes raking over the brunette. "And... I'm going to leave you two to... catch up." She released Max's hand, it felt like a part of her was leaving the room, but Chloe quickly kissed her lips and dispelled the feeling.

"You..." Chloe started to say before kissing Max again. "Have no fucking idea..." She kissed her again. "What the fuck..." Another kiss, Max tried not to laugh. "I went through." Max bit her girlfriend's bottom lip playfully.

"I have some idea... remember the Dark Room?" Max said, nuzzling her nose.

"Okay, fine... you do." Chloe smiled softly and looked deeply into Max's eyes. "I'd fucking lost you... you fucking idiot."

"I know... I'm..." Max started to say.

"Don't even say the word Caulfield... I fucking told you that asshole was trouble, you're not apologising, you're going to fucking beg for my forgiveness this time." Chloe said harshly, but Max could see the playfulness in her eyes, the love she felt for her.

"I... am going to make this up to you... over and over again... until you forgive me." Max said, grinning at her girlfriend. "I promise."

"You better fucking do."

Max kissed her girlfriend softly, taking the time to enjoy the touch of her lips, the feel of her hair under her right hand's fingertips, the touch of her skin under her left. She was committing everything to memory, locking it all away so she could never lose her again. There were so many questions still running around her head, so many things she needed to know, but right now she only had the time for Chloe. This punk girl was her number one priority, and would be until the end of time.

She had to stop their loving session too soon though. Her throat was hurting, and the pain in her chest remained, a reminder of her brush with death. Chloe could tell something was wrong and sat up carefully. It was only then Max realised how undressed she was. Her shirt and jacket were gone, her jeans had been removed too and she was lying on the bed in just her underwear with a bandage around her chest.

"Chloe... can I get some clothes?" She asked. Chloe let out a small laugh as she got off the bed and opened a bag on a bench against the wall.

"Holden's people got us a change of clothes, and she was very specific. No preppy shit." Chloe said, pulling a new pair of ripped black jeans out of the bag, along with a black shirt with a golden eagle design on the front.

"Where are we?" Max said, sitting up carefully and taking the shirt first. The pain in her chest doubled as she tried to pull it on, causing her to wince. Chloe quickly helped her get dressed.

"A warehouse by the river. We weren't told specifics. Just... pushed into the car and driven straight here." Chloe answered, helping to button Max's jeans.

"Strange to have you dressing me for once." Max said offhand.

"Don't get used to it." Chloe smiled, kissing her on the cheek gently. "Holden's people, they're not doctors, they don't have huge resources like Prescott and we couldn't risk taking you to the hospital. So when we lost you..." She shook her head sadly. "I thought it was all over."

"I'm still here." Max sat back down on the bed, pulling Chloe down with her.

"Rachel never left your side. She said... you were too important to leave. What is it between you two?" Chloe looked worried, but Max didn't know how to answer the question.

"The three of us, we... kind of form a causal loop of our own."

"How? What?" Chloe furrowed her brow.

"Well, to get my powers I had to save you in the bathroom. For you to be in that bathroom, Rachel had to go missing. For Rachel to survive her encounter with Jeffershit and Nathan... I needed my powers."

"That is fucked up." Chloe said, shaking her head. "You're saying for all three of us to be alive, we needed each other."

"Pretty much. Whatever's connecting Rachel and I, it saved my life this time. I get to make more memories with you." Max smiled, placing her hand on Chloe's cheek. The punk pressed her cheek into the contact.

"If you want more answers... we need Holden. I wasn't paying much attention to her briefing shit when you were dying." Chloe admitted.

"Get Rach first?" Max asked, kissing her girlfriend sweetly.

"Will do, don't go anywhere." Chloe said, rocking up onto her feet and disappearing through the only door into this room. _I'm not going anywhere without you._ Max thought, watching the girl she loved leave the room.

Max had time to take in her surroundings. The walls were simple concrete, nothing special. There was a small rectangular window above the bed, a bench against the wall with two bags on it, a couch against the other wall and a number of chairs near it. It wasn't exactly their Vegas Penthouse, but they had simple comforts by the looks of it.

Chloe returned with Rachel, who was carrying a small tray of food with a glass of water. The blunette sat back down on the bed beside Max, while Rachel lay the tray out on the bed for them.

"Thought you'd be hungry." Rachel smiled, passing Max the glass of water. "And very thirsty."

"Mmm." Max mumbled, sipping the water happily. "Thank you Rach." The blonde sat down on her other side, it felt strange to be sandwiched between two beautiful women.

"Thank you for getting us out of there Max." Rachel said, taking Max's free hand and giving it a squeeze.

"That is what I wanted to ask you about." Max said, sipping some more of the water. It was making her throat feel a lot better.

"Ask away, we've been here for days, there's a lot to tell."

"Days?" Max asked, almost spilling her water.

"Days." Chloe said, taking a cookie off the tray. "All of it panicking, worrying and crying." She broke her cookie in half and passed a piece to Max.

"Why... did we have to leave Prescott so quickly?" Max asked.

"Because he's been experimenting on young adults." Holden said from the doorway, her long brunette hair down past her shoulders, her arms once again crossed. "I heard Chloe was looking for Rachel. You're looking for answers, I'm the one to ask."

"Experimenting? How? Why?" Max bit into her cookie and couldn't help but appreciate the taste and texture. _I've fucking missed these..._

"The Council and its Chairman discovered an energy, a life force, we're not quite sure, but they call it essence." Holden said, closing the door and sitting down on the couch. "This essence is in everybody but they haven't found a reliable and fool proof way of testing for it."

"How do they even know about it then?" Max asked.

"By accident. Supernatural powers have been recorded in history for centuries, but because they're only stories we pass them off as myths, or legends. The Chairman and their Council respond to modern day activations of this essence, they're looking for ways to activate it themselves without nature, and they're trying to control anybody who does have this power within them."

"Like me..." Max muttered.

"Exactly like you, Max." Holden said gently. "Sean Prescott's family are the people who discovered a poor means of testing for it. They discovered that... 'essence' is charged by emotional responses. So they started donating more towards the arts for Blackwell. Stage shows, photography, things that can elicit a deep emotional response in somebody."

"They started donating more to the arts when I was still at Blackwell." Chloe added. Having finished her cookie she'd taken hold of Max's other hand.

"They hired Mark Jefferson to do more... deeper... testing. He would abduct young vulnerable girls, drug them, and attempt to capture the switch in their emotional levels. It was actually working, though it was barbaric." Holden said, looking at Rachel.

Max looked at the blonde and could see her eyes were glazed. It took Max a moment longer to realise that Rachel had also lived through her Dark Room experience, just like her. Max released Chloe's hand for a moment and wrapped Rachel in a tight hug, who willingly held onto her too. "We can talk later, if it'll help?" Max whispered trying to make sure only the blonde could hear her, though she was sure Chloe heard some of it.

"Yeah..." Rachel whispered back, her head pressed into Max's shoulder.

"How do they know it was working?" Chloe asked.

"They were reporting a... shimmer on certain recording devices they had set up in the room, looking for those essence levels they were so anxious to see. Rachel's... her's showed a massive level, higher than they had recorded in the past. It's why you were so important to them."

"Did they know how her... power... would manifest?" Max asked.

"Not a damn clue, but... she was a viable source for testing."

"And I heard them talking all about it while I slept. Which is why, when you reminded me... I wanted to get the fuck out of there." Rachel said, finally releasing her hold on Max. "I have no idea how long I lay there listening to those motherfuckers, it was... such an escape when I was watching you Max."

"And what about me?" Max asked.

"They had no idea about you, you had never been taken to the Dark Room. But recent upgrades to the Academy means they won't be using such barbaric methods again, they've set the equipment up around the school instead."

"Holy fucking shit..." Chloe said.

"Your Step-Dad helped them with the correct placement for the cameras." Holden said, talking to Chloe.

"The cameras he wanted set up in Blackwell... was for this?" Max asked, she could remember finding those plans in the garage.

"Correct. And the DA helped ensure it was all legal and above board." Holden answered, this time looking to Rachel. "They've been working on this for years."

"And how do you and your... people... fit into this?" Max said, sitting back and taking hold of Chloe's hand once more.

"Kristine Prescott is not a fan of her father's work. After her brother died she turned away from her humanitarian efforts and has been trying to get people into the Prescott estate as spies, so we can gather information on the Council, its Chairman, their illegal practices, and take it to the government."

"You just blew your cover getting us out, didn't you?" Max asked.

"I... need to admit something." Holden said, sitting back, looking a little nervous. "I wasn't there that night to break you out, Max. We were concerned Prescott had finally managed to get a supernatural on side, and one as powerful as you..."

"You were there to kill me." Max said, understanding right away.

"What the fuck Holden?!" Chloe shouted, almost launching herself off the bed, only stopped by Max's tight grip.

"We were worried! Max had already shown how willing she was to kill! How she could manipulate time subtly without impacting herself!" Amelia said defensively. "She could undo everything we ever did, without knowing what she'd done."

"Lucky for you I had no intention of being his pawn." Max rest her head on Rachel's shoulder, her head was starting to hurt again.

"My other job was to get Rachel out of there, so they didn't have a test subject." Amelia explained, looking at the girls sadly. "We were panicking, I'm sorry Max."

"I think we should take a break." Rachel said, her hand gripping Max's tightly. "Max has a headache, she needs some rest and... we'd like some time to talk." Chloe looked at Rachel, a strange look in her eyes. "All three of us." The blonde added with a smile.

"That's fine..." Amelia said, standing up slowly. "We're going to... need to make a plan and get you girls out of the city. We're bringing your RV up from Vegas, it should be here in a few days. You can stick with us on the move but..."

"We have Max, we shouldn't need much help." Chloe said. "And I don't think it's a good idea to stay in the company of somebody who planned to kill my girlfriend."

"We'll make plans anyway, just in case." Amelia smiled weakly and left the three girls alone for a second time.

* * *

 

For the first time Max was really glad somebody could read how she was feeling without having to say anything herself. The unexplainable connection between them had its up sides, they could read each other's feelings and feel the other's pain. For Max it was a new connection, a new set of feelings to have to cope with and understand and she could miss the information she was receiving, but Rachel had been in a coma for months with time to understand the extra information. She was fine tuned to Max's emotional and physical pain.

The following day Max was lying on the bed with Chloe, her head on the punk's chest listening to her heartbeat and enjoying every moment. Rachel was looking at the selection of clothes Amelia's people had brought them, evident disgust rippling through the connection between her and Max. Max was trying to learn how to close the connection at times like this, but it was like trying to stop the sea during a storm.

"If you don't like them, put them to one side." Max said, receiving a strange look from Chloe. "She doesn't like the clothes." She whispered. Chloe half smirked, she had admitted to them both the previous day how difficult it was to get used to the idea of her best friend and girlfriend being able to read each other's emotions.

"We really need to fix this connection." Rachel said, throwing an ugly shirt over her shoulder onto the bed. "As much as I love you, Max, I really don't want to know how you're feeling for Chloe when you're locking lips..."

Chloe laughed, but Max blushed. "Yeah... it's getting a bit awkward."

"You'll both have to practice, like Max did with her rewinds." Chloe suggested, kissing Max's forehead.

"Maybe the further apart we get, the easier it'll be?" Max asked, looking at the blonde.

"So... we have to stay as far away from each other as possible?" Rachel asked, turning to look at the couple on the bed. "That's never going to work. You're in love with my best friend."

"That's... true." Max admitted with a sly smile. "Very... in love." Chloe squeezed Max very gently, afraid of hurting her.

It wasn't like Max was bleeding profusely from her injury, but after her attempts to undress the night before she'd pulled something and caused an absolute panic. A medic had rushed into the bedroom, Chloe and Rachel had both panicked, Amelia had appeared in the doorway, alert but very tired. All because she pulled one of her stitches out. Since then she'd been told to do a lot less and allow Chloe and Rachel to pamper her until her wound healed completely.

"Think it has to do with... bringing me back from the dead?" Max asked, watching her girlfriend light up a cigarette for the first time in months. "I thought you quit..."

"You watch your girlfriend die and tell me you wouldn't try to find a way to cope." Chloe said quietly.

"I've been reading you for months Max, long before I... did whatever I did." Rachel answered, picking one of the flannel shirts she'd found and stuffing it in the bag she'd chosen as her own.

"But... I'm a time traveler." Max said with a slight smirk. "My mind travels along the timeline, so... maybe that connection does too?"

"That's a really good theory." Chloe said, blowing smoke out of her nose away from Max. "Now you're thinking in four dimensions."

"Better than thinking with portals." Rachel laughed. "But it's a good theory. I like it."

"I have my moments." Max smirked smugly, nuzzling into her girlfriend. "But we still need to try to control it."

"Agreed." Rachel said. "Fucking assholes didn't find my earring or my bracelet."

"Frank... had your bracelet." Max said, looking to Chloe.

"Oh..." Rachel said, she'd tensed up. Max could feel the anxiety building in the blonde, the fear of how Chloe was going to react. "Chloe..."

"I don't want to talk about it." Chloe said, putting out her cigarette so she could stroke Max's blue highlight out of her eyes.

"Okay..." Rachel continued picking out their clothes, but Max could feel the hurt in her. It was so strange to feel hurt by Chloe.

Max closed her eyes and nuzzled into her girlfriend again, trying to shake the feeling from her body. It was going to be very strange while they learned how to control this connection. She didn't want to be sending Rachel intimate feelings or images when she and Chloe wanted it to be private and between the two of them. Rachel seemed to be understanding the same feeling, because her shoulders started to relax.

"So... where do we go from here?" Max asked, trying to change the subject. "Amelia's going to want us to help bring down Prescott and this Council."

"No fucking way." Chloe replied immediately. "I already lost you once, I will not run that risk again. Not for a billion fucking dollars."

"I agree with Chloe. This isn't our mess. If they want to be the heroes, let them. But we need to get the fuck away from it all." Rachel said, leaving the packing and sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"But it is my mess. I took those instructions into the past for Prescott, I gave him more power." Max argued.

"It had to be done." Rachel said, taking one of Max's hands. "If you hadn't... I needed you."

"I know Rach..." Max smiled weakly, squeezing her hand.

"You've fought enough babe." Chloe said softly. "Last time you died doing it."

"How will we pay for anything if we run? They'll track your bank account, they'll track any ATM rewinds eventually." Max said, deciding to follow what the two girls wanted. They'd done exactly what she wanted last time and while getting Rachel out of there was a win, getting shot in the process certainly wasn't.

"Chloe told me she had an idea about that..." Rachel said, looking at the blunette. "But you kept shooting it down."

"Her stock market idea." Max nodded, she hadn't forgotten.

"I've been doing some reading, I could make it work." Chloe said, shrugging. "I mean, I won't be the best at it and we could lose some money here and there, unless you did your rewinding..."

"While I was at least still in school and getting good grades. Maybe if we put our heads together we could definitely make it work?" Rachel said with a smile.

"Neither of you can rewind, which means I'm somehow getting pulled into this, right?" Max asked.

"Actually... we were thinking of... cheating... a lot." Rachel tried to look innocent, but Max could see through that lie already.

"Not really cheating. More like..." Chloe started to say.

"Using my powers to give you a starting point?" Max said.

"She doesn't like it." Rachel shook her head, she wasn't wrong.

"You want to manipulate the stock market!"

Rachel was shaking her head again. "No. We want to use the stock market to give us a more... honest... future. It would all be legitimate, legal, no lying and no stealing."

"And we could stay off the grid." Chloe added.

"I'll... think about it." Max said, she felt the elation Rachel felt at that moment. "That's not a yes!" She added quickly, looking straight into Rachel's eyes.

Rachel jumped when they heard a loud knock on the door, which was soon opened by Amelia holding a tray of food.

"I'm not your waiter, before you start expecting this in the future." The woman said, setting the tray down beside Max. "I need to speak to Max." She continued, sitting in one of the chairs by the couch.

"Then speak." Chloe said, eyeing the woman suspiciously. Max released her girlfriend reluctantly and lay back on her side of the bed, carefully avoiding the tray of food.

"Alone?" Amelia said, looking between the older girls.

"Yeah, that's not happening." Chloe answered. Sitting up and crossing her arms. "You were planning to kill her, so excuse me if I'm not rushing to leave you alone with her."

"You can talk to all of us." Rachel said, turning to face the woman. "It's not like Max won't tell us what you speak to her about, and this way you save us a conversation later."

"What are you two? Her caretakers?" Amelia said, shaking her head.

"Bodyguard." Rachel said.

"Girlfriend." Chloe smiled.

"Saviour." Rachel laughed, trying to one up Chloe.

"First love, suck it." Chloe said, poking Rachel's back with her boot.

"Oh for fucks sakes, shut up." Amelia said, visibly annoyed. "You have a secret group trying to capture you and you're acting like children."

"What do you want to talk to us about?" Max said, putting emphasis on the word 'us.'

"You could really help us expose this conspiracy. And we'd never put you in any further danger, you'd never have to kill again." Amelia said, she sounded like she'd been rehearsing this. "Please... think of the lives you could save."

"Max is in no position to help you." Rachel answered. "She's just died, she's still injured and she hasn't tested her powers since."

"Couldn't you... quickly run a test?" Amelia asked. Max couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Rachel turned around and gently placed a comforting hand on her leg.

"No. I've been feeling tired since... dying." Max said, the words sounding strange as they left her mouth. "And if I decide to try to help you, I'd be declaring myself for your group instead. They won't be trying to capture me then, they'll be trying to kill me, again."

"We'd protect you." Amelia offered. "Max... we need a win, we need to stop this group."

"You got a win. You saved Rachel." Chloe said. "Max needs to be selfish. She's eighteen years old and you're trying to recruit her into some fucking shadow war because of her powers."

"That's not what I wanted! But... I'm being asked if she'd be willing to help." Amelia looked offended. "We don't want to use kids, but Max's powers could help us."

"My answer's no, Amelia." Max said. "I... I need to keep these two safe, and I can't do that if I'm helping you." She looked between Rachel and Chloe, who were both smiling at her. "I want to help, I really do, but... I've had enough excitement."

"I can't persuade you?" Amelia asked sadly.

"No... but if we ever find anything, or we remember anything..." She looked at Rachel specifically. "If we have a means of contacting you, we will let you know."

"I guess that's all I can ask for." Amelia nodded. "I'm sorry for asking."

* * *

 

It was another couple of days before the RV arrived at the warehouse, where it was brought inside to keep it off the streets. Everything was still in the place they'd left it, Max's beige dress was still on the floor in their bedroom. It was nice to be back in their home, but somehow it felt smaller now. Especially as three of them would be sharing the space from here on.

"You're going to have to get rid of this RV, and soon." Amelia said from the doorway, looking in at the three of them. Max remained sat at the dining table, she'd barely made it out of their room in the warehouse, she wasn't going to be moving around much.

"And replace it with what?" Chloe asked, leaning against the fridge. "We don't exactly have a solid income, and we've got nowhere to stash our stuff if we downgraded."

"Prescott knows what vehicle he's looking for, he won't let you stay outside his control for too long." Amelia said.

"Could he have tracked it here?" Rachel asked, turning the passenger seat and grinning at Max. "I see what you mean." She mouthed happily. Max laughed at the blonde.

"Yeah, which is why we're moving out tomorrow. You're going to have to have made tracks by then." Amelia looked at each of them and laughed. "You're still just fucking kids."

"With a badass time traveler..." Chloe said. "You got any supplies we can take with us?"

"How's ten grand, a phone and some food?" Amelia offered.

"Won't say no to that." Chloe answered. Amelia laughed and walked away.

"Feels strange to actually be here." Rachel said, looking around the inside of the RV. "Last time I was in an RV was..."

"When you were banging Frank." Chloe said, walking off into the bedroom.

Once again Max could feel the hurt in Rachel, the pain and the misery at being scorned by her best friend. She smiled weakly at Max, knowing the brunette could feel her pain and turned her chair to face the windscreen, away from the source of her misery.

"She'll come around." Max said quietly, slowly getting out of her seat and sitting in the drivers seat beside Rachel.

"No... she won't." Rachel said sadly. "I really fucked up with her Max, I didn't tell her, I kept lying to her. Even with Jefferson... I thought he was something else and... that motherfucker." She wiped her tears away, trying to look away from Max who was also starting to cry too.

"She forgave me, after I didn't talk to her for five years..." Max said sadly. "She gave me a chance to put it right."

"You and she weren't... involved like I was with her... you didn't cheat on her with your dealer." Rachel answered roughly, wiping her eyes and trying to stop the tears.

"So you were both still... close when you did that?" Max asked. She only thought Chloe had a crush on Rachel, but it was sounding like there was a lot more.

"A few frisky moments... and a lot of good memories but I... fucked it all up." Rachel said sadly. "Look I... appreciate what you're trying to do, but now isn't the best time." She looked over her shoulder to the bedroom and Max followed her gaze, expecting Chloe to be standing there listening. But the sliding door was closed. "I just hope..."

"I know." Max smiled. "I'd give you a hug but..." She indicated her injury with a slight shrug. Rachel got out of her seat, a smile on her lips, and wrapped her arms around Max.

"I am so glad she's got you." Rachel said, sitting back down in her seat and turning it to face Max. "You both... absolutely fucking glow when you're together."

"She brings out something in me." Max confided quietly.

"Confidence, passion, love." Rachel smiled, leaning forward to gently caress Max's cheek. "And your fiercer side. That willingness to kill for her."

"I..." Max could feel her own passions in the touch, how she would normally touch Chloe. It was strange, wrong. She carefully stood up. "I should go and check on Chloe..." She said.

"I'll go and get our bags..." Rachel said quietly, helping Max past the door before she stepped out.

Max knocked on the sliding door to their bedroom. "Chloe? Can I come in?"

"Yeah." Chloe said weakly. Max slipped inside and found Chloe sat on the edge of the bed, her face lined with tears. Max quickly dropped to her knees, forgetting her injury, and hugged Chloe tightly.

"Babe... what's wrong?" Max said, looking past the tears into her bloodshot blue eyes.

"I thought she was fucking dead Max... I grieved for her, I'd tried to forgive her and..." Chloe started sobbing harder, Max turned and slid the door closed to give them privacy in case anybody entered the RV. "She was alive, she was fucking Frank, she... fucking Jefferson... fuck..." Max should have known this was coming, after all the days they'd spent after Arcadia Bay's tornado, grieving for their lost friends and family, she should have known seeing Rachel alive again would elicit such a response.

"That's the old Rachel." Max said, trying to comfort Chloe. "This girl... she went through the Dark Room Chloe, those pictures we saw were of her."

"She still fucking lied to me Max, still lied to my fucking face."

Max tried to control how she was feeling, fully aware of that connection to Rachel right now. She didn't want the blonde to feel worse than she was already feeling, but it was a losing battle. Rachel's emotional turmoil was assaulting Max just as hard as her feelings for Chloe were flooding into Rachel.

"Chloe... she feels terrible. Trust me, I'm a bit of an authority on her emotions right now." Max smiled weakly. "She's woken up from a coma with the knowledge both of her parents are dead, Frank's dead, Jefferson was grooming the person who almost killed her and the girl she has these weird strong feelings for is with somebody else." She had no idea where all that knowledge just came from, but she knew it was true. Everything about it was true. She wiped her eyes on her jacket sleeve, feeling the emotions as brutally as Rachel must have been right that second.

The door behind Max opened slowly, Rachel was standing there with tears in her eyes and a sad look on her face. "She's telling the truth." She admitted. "I... Chloe I am so sorry! I am sorry for what you went through, I am sorry I lied to you!"

Max eased herself onto the bed next to Chloe, keeping a tight arm around her waist as the blunette and the blonde stared at each other. Rachel knelt down where Max had been, her hands nervously reaching for Chloe's, who seemed to reluctantly accept the touch.

"Please... I can't lose you too." Rachel said, her hazel eyes locked on Chloe's.

Chloe pulled the blonde into a hug and kissed her cheek. Rachel and Max were both flooded with relief that the punk was willing to forgive her despite all she'd done that had hurt Chloe so much. Max couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy at the connection Rachel and Chloe shared, but Rachel soon pulled Max into the hug as well and kissed her cheek gently.

Max was glad they were a team. They would stay together and they were not going to lose each other again. She would keep using her powers until whatever kept trying to pull them apart would realise it wasn't going to work.


	10. Entangled

Just as planned the girls left Holden's team the next day, taking with them all the supplies Amelia could provide. Three new phones, ten thousand dollars in small bills, enough food to stock up their small kitchen for a few days and a small medical bag, courtesy of her team's medic. Max was still struggling to move around the RV unassisted, the pain in her chest wasn't easing up but she hadn't pulled anymore stitches, it meant Rachel or Chloe were always at her side, helping her move around or doing one job or another for her. Max hated it, she felt like a dead weight to the two girls. She'd tried hiding the feeling from Rachel, but the girl was always aware, giving her a comforting hug or a kiss on the head as she passed her in the RV. Chloe had noticed the connection between them growing, despite their attempts to dispel any of the punk's fears. It was difficult not growing close to somebody when you shared such a personal connection with them.

It had only been a few hours since they had left the warehouse when one of their new phones started ringing. They all checked their phones, uncertain who's ringtone it was as they hadn't had the time to personalise any of the phones.

"Mine." Max said, putting it on the table and clicking the answer key, followed closely by the speakerphone button. "Hello?" She said curiously.

"Max. It's Amelia." The woman said, her voice sounded worried, anxious even. Rachel sat down at the table opposite while Chloe continued to drive.

"What's wrong? You said you wouldn't contact us first."

"Prescott hit my team just after you left. They're all gone. I'm giving you a warning... wait a minute..." They could hear traffic in the background, the rustle of fabric, then Amelia was back. "Do not come back for me. Keep moving, stay ahead of them. I will not contact you without saying the words Max is a bonafide Badass first. It will be the first thing I ever say, if I don't say it, hang up, destroy the phone. Do you understand?"

"I understand." Max answered, looking at Rachel. She looked exactly how Max felt.

"There's another number in Rachel's phone. If you ever remember anything, or discover anything, call it. Can you do that for me?"

"We will Amelia, I told you we would." Max said. "We could come and..."

"No Max. I said don't. Good luck, all of you. Hopefully we'll meet again. I have to go." The call ended, leaving the girls in an awkward silence. The people who had kept them safe were all gone, Amelia was on the run.

"Think they were waiting for us to leave?" Rachel asked.

"I don't know..." Max looked to Chloe, who was still trying to concentrate on the road ahead.

"We have ten grand, we can last a while but when it runs out..." Rachel looked at Max, the concern evident in her eyes and the emotions they were sharing.

"We need an income, more than what David is providing, untraceable." Max nodded. She was going to have to break her own rules again, she was going to have to cheat but she was in no shape to try testing her powers right away. "We use the cash, we keep moving and in the meantime, let's make a plan." She smirked at Rachel.

* * *

 

Max would love to say that she was staying up late at night to help Rachel and Chloe master the finer details of their stock market plan, but the truth was she couldn't sleep. Even when Chloe persuaded her to go to bed, she would toss and turn all night unable to get comfortable. She couldn't get out of bed without waking Rachel who slept on the floor beside the bed on a number of soft covers they had taken from the warehouse when they left. She had tried to sneak out of bed on a number of occasions, only to be foiled by Chloe who would wrap her up in her arms and try to soothe her to get some sleep, or Rachel who would then sit with her at the table and defeat the point of Max's late night wandering.

This went on for days, putting more and more of a strain on Max's mind and slowing her healing process. Rachel tried everything to help the brunette sleep as Chloe drove them further east. Then they'd switch, and Chloe would try to get Max to sleep instead. Nothing was working. Everytime she closed her eyes she felt like she was dying all over again and she'd quickly force her eyelids open. Their planning was also suffering for it. Max couldn't concentrate on her parts of the plan, and Rachel was struggling to get any time on the project while she was looking after her.

One evening she finally forced the two girls to leave her alone in the bedroom and concentrate on their parts of their plan, which was far more important than Max's job as a messenger. She could hear them beyond the closed door, trying to remain quiet as they tried to think in four dimensions as well as using what few selfies Max had that may or may not line up with their goals. Without Max testing her powers, she had no idea where each selfie would put her and she'd be committed to a number of jumps to discover times and dates just to give their plan a chance.

She felt a slight tugging at her chest and panicked a little, placing a hand to her shirt where the wound was hidden. There was no blood, but it wasn't a reassuring feeling. She allowed a slight hiss to escape her lips as the pain grew. There was a bang beyond the door, then Rachel and Chloe were rushing into the room with the medical bag. Rachel had felt the pain too and warned Chloe.

"Max..." Chloe whispered, sitting by her head and gently placing the brunette's head on her lap. "It's okay." Rachel was lifting her shirt to check the bandages, worry echoing between them mixed with the flashes of pain and exhaustion.

"No bleeding, she's just... in a lot of pain." Rachel winced, looking through their bag for the painkillers.

Max looked up into her girlfriend's blue eyes, trying to focus on how beautiful she was. The edges of her vision were starting to fade, she didn't want to go, she didn't want to let go. She held on, fighting the pain, fighting the dimming vision, staring up at her soulmate. Her eyes closed and she felt her exhaustion engulf her.

* * *

 

"I didn't think you'd be back." Rachel said, sitting on the edge of the bed in Chloe's old room. She looked different to the last time Max had seen her, she had her earring and her bracelet, but she also had a beautiful tattoo of a phoenix on her neck. "You're stubborn." She smiled.

"Free space... again." Max said, lying on the floor looking up at the blonde. "I was certain I was dying."

"Post Traumatic Stress." Rachel nodded. "You don't want to sleep, because you're afraid you won't wake up. So you're exhausting yourself, and your body can't heal you properly if you don't rest."

"I should have known that." Max said, easing herself up off the floor without a pain in her chest. She looked around the old room, appreciating Chloe's rebellious graffiti and posters. She noticed strange burning patterns beyond the window, enhanced by the black background it traced its way through.

"Yes you should. So when you wake up, remind yourself. Save us having to meet like this?" Rachel said smiling just like her real life counterpart.

"You're going to have some answers for me." Max confidently said, sitting beside the blonde. "Because I've been doing a lot of thinking."

"Oh you have? I am looking forward to this then." Rachel grinned, taking hold of one of Max's hands.

"My powers, they were activated by this Essence thing Prescott is after?" Max asked.

"Essence?! HA! Those idiots get it right once and all of a sudden they think they know it all." Rachel laughed and shook her head. "Is Essence a life force? Yes. Does it dictate the activation of latent powers? Fuck no. That's like the dumbest fucking bullshit I've heard, and I've lived a long ass fucking time."

"Then what is it?" Max asked. Rachel rolled her eyes and released Max's hand.

"I thought you'd done a lot of thinking? Do we really have to go over things you're going to forget?"

"Why do I always forget shit from here?" Max asked.

"I'm not actually allowed to help you anymore Max. The last thing I could do in the real world was produce a tornado, the last thing I could do here was put an idea in your head, to prepare you. You have to come to these conclusions on your own, you must be the one to understand the chaos around us, on your own."

"Then why are you allowed to confirm what I know?"

"Because you already know it, you've already come to that conclusion I'm just giving you a... nudge... in accepting it." Rachel smiled, nudging her gently in the side. "See?"

"Dork." Max laughed, resting her head on the girl's shoulder.

"You know it." Rachel smirked. "I'm glad you held on. That you decided to wait and see if they could save you."

"It was a hard choice." Max admitted sadly. "I didn't want to lose Chloe, to lose what we have."

"But you haven't told her yet. You remember how you felt as you were dying, those emotions were as real as it could get, but you haven't told her."

"I... can't." Max said quietly, looking at Rachel's hand in hers, their fingers laced together just like she would do with Chloe.

"You're afraid... but you shouldn't be."

"Are you my therapist all of a sudden? I mean... why are we always talking about this stuff? Shouldn't you be imparting wisdom? Or taunting me? Or... something?" Max said, releasing Rachel's hand and standing up to pace the room.

"You... wouldn't understand."

"You keep saying that." Max retorted, stopping at the bedroom window and looking out onto the strange view. The darkness of chaos laced with the fiery glow.

"Part of keeping your mind intact when you don't understand, is focusing on things you do understand. To ground you." Rachel said quietly. "My job now... is to keep you grounded if you come here, to try to help you understand what you can without giving you anything you don't already know."

"And if you did tell me something I don't already know?" Max asked, more to hear the words than not knowing the answer.

"You forget it when you wake up. Just like that. It wastes what time we have."

Max watched the fiery glow flicker and grow, burning bright against the black void she couldn't yet understand. She focused on a memory of Chloe, and almost instantly the view changed to that memory. Chloe in her blue pencil dress standing at the windows with the city of Las Vegas behind her. A wonderful memory she would never change, a memory she would happily have chosen to live in if it meant she could be with Chloe forever.

"I'll never have another like it... will I?" She asked quietly, a tear in her blue eyes.

"Your future isn't all chaos and war, Max." Rachel answered, standing beside Max and looking at the image. "Time is yours to... manipulate." She said very carefully. "Who is to say you ever need to get involved in the chaos again? A nudge here, the right word there..." Rachel smirked. "The right girl... in the right place... at the right time."

Max grinned. "I think I can remember that."

"Oh too right you will." Rachel laughed.

"That glow I kept seeing, what is it?" Max asked.

"Ugh... again?"

"Just answer me."

"It's Rachel, it's your connection. She's a part of your mind now, and that is the influence of her on you." The girl answered. "You can control it, before you ask another stupid question. You just have to learn how."

Max smiled and turned to the blonde. "I think I'm ready to go back to my girlfriend now."

"You're learning..." Rachel laughed as the world closed in around them. _I am learning. I'm in control of my own mind. Free space... is mine._

* * *

 

Max awoke with her head in Chloe's lap, the punk's hand on the back of her head. Max was aware of Rachel's arm over her waist. She smiled at how the two girls were both holding onto her, refusing to leave her as she'd slept. She'd always known Chloe would never let her go, but having another person care for her almost as much was a wonderful feeling. She kissed Chloe's leg firmly, alerting the blunette. Chloe's face lit up with a smile as she looked down into Max's open eyes.

"Sorry I worried you." She whispered, eliciting an excited gasp from Rachel who wasn't quite as aware, despite their connection.

"Thank fuck!" Rachel said, squeezing Max's side gently and sitting up behind her. "You have no idea how worried we were."

"Worried enough to be cuddling up to my butt?" Max joked, sitting up and resting her head on Chloe's shoulder. The punk quickly put her arm over Max's shoulder and held her close.

"Chloe got to do it enough, it was my turn." Rachel winked playfully.

"You feeling better?" Chloe asked, looking at her with that same concern in her eyes.

"Yeah... but you know, I miss the days you could look at me and not be so worried." Max said, nuzzling Chloe's neck gently.

"I miss the days I didn't have to worry about the badass time traveler too." Chloe retorted, kissing her forehead gently.

"So... what time is it?" Max asked, looking at the blonde who had moved down to the foot of the bed.

"Uhm..." Rachel checked her new phone. "Eight in the morning, you've slept for a while."

"That's not a while for Max." Chloe laughed. "She once slept for almost seventeen hours."

"Oh... that explains why I spent so long listening to those fucking assholes." Rachel said.

"That was just before I started... having visions of you." Max was feeling so much better now that the pain in her chest had abated.

"I was really fucking... emotional..." Rachel admitted.

"Should we make tracks?" Chloe asked, changing the subject.

"Hella yes." Max smiled. "Before I go back to sleep and trap you." She grinned.

"I'll do first shift." Chloe said, kissing Max on the head and getting off their bed. "Don't let her out of the bed." She told Rachel as she left them in the bedroom.

"You've got your orders Max. Stay in bed." Rachel laughed, moving back up the bed onto Chloe's side.

They sat quietly as Chloe got the RV ready to go. Max was thinking about the few things she could remember from her long sleep. _Time is mine to manipulate, and all it takes is the right nudge in the right place... at the right... time..._ She smirked, but she was sure Rachel had picked up on her happy feelings. The blonde had looked at her curiously.

"How... long have you been dreaming about me?" Rachel asked quietly.

"Wait... you... what?" Max asked, staring wide eyed at the girl.

"I got... glimpses of your emotions and mind while you were asleep. We were... close." Rachel said quietly, glancing up the RV in case Chloe was returning.

"I... don't really know. I don't ever remember much of it, just... small bits, like a dream." Max whispered.

"Are we always so close?" Rachel placed her hand on Max's knee gently.

"I... don't know." Max said, placing her hand on Rachel's. Another shock surged through their touch. It kept happening, and everytime it did it was like Max grew closer to this girl.

She didn't know why she did it, but she placed her head on Rachel's shoulder as she would with Chloe and the blonde wrapped her arm around her, keeping her close. Max could feel Rachel's emotions for Chloe rubbing against her own love of the punk, twisting and mingling as the two girls remained close. They were blissfully unaware as the RV set off for their next unknown destination on their trip east.

"Want some food?" Rachel asked, suddenly breaking the connection and allowing Max to think straight once more.

"Fuck yes." She answered, anything to get some time away from those strange sensations.

* * *

 

It had been two weeks since Max's miraculous resurrection at the hands of Rachel Amber. Her gunshot wound was still taking its time to heal, but she was no longer forcing herself to stay awake at night and causing herself further stress. The cash Amelia had given them was lasting and Prescott had made no further attempts to make a move on the girls, but Max remained on edge for the day she may have to risk injury and try to rewind them out of a bad situation. Chloe had bought her a new guitar as a get well soon present, something to distract her mind as they traveled the country. Rachel had found the most use out of it so far though, as Max couldn't position it on her chest without causing some pain. She was having to sleep on her side most nights to avoid the pain in her back too.

Each morning she would spend an hour rewinding and testing her freeze powers, usually when she took her bandages off to check her wounds. She wouldn't tell Chloe or Rachel the real reason why she'd taken her bandage off for an hour, as they wouldn't remember it once she'd rewound. The truth was after each rewind her wounds would reopen and begin bleeding ever so slightly, the strain on her body too much for the fresh injury to take.

Max slipped up on this morning, forgetting just when Rachel had entered to grab the guitar.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Rachel yelled, rushing over to Max's side as she tried to clean the blood from her torso.

"It's fine." Max lied.

"No it isn't. You need to heal Max!" Rachel said, moving her hands aside to check the wound.

"I need to be able to protect you both." Max said, pulling away from the blonde.

"You need to be alive to do that." Rachel retorted, pulling Max to sit up in front of her so she could check her back. "Chloe!" She shouted.

"No... don't tell..." Too late, Chloe was already entering the bedroom.

"What the fuck?" Chloe said, Max had already cleared away the blood, so to Chloe it appeared as though Rachel was checking out her half naked girlfriend.

"SuperMax here has been rewinding and reopening her wounds." Rachel said, sitting back. "I just caught her wiping it away." She continued, showing Chloe the bloody bandage.

"Oh fuck Max." Chloe said, sitting at the foot of the bed facing Max.

"I have to keep them active." Max explained. "I need to be able to use them when we need them."

"But not by killing yourself, or stopping your wounds healing." Rachel said, looking for the fresh set of bandages they'd bought a few days ago.

"You're supposed to be taking it easy." Chloe said, kissing her girlfriend on the forehead. "So please... take it fucking easy? Let us do the protecting for now."

"The sooner you heal properly Max, the sooner we can change vehicles. The longer it takes the greater the chance Prescott finds us." Rachel started wrapping a new bandage around Max's torso with practiced hands. She'd turned into their medic for now, always caring for Max's health.

"Fine..." Max muttered, looking into her girlfriend's eyes. "I'm sorry."

"I'll get us moving." Chloe smiled weakly, before getting in Rachel's way so she could plant a sweet kiss on Max's lips.

"Why did you do this to yourself Max?" Rachel asked, using safety pins to keep the bandage in place.

"I don't want to risk your lives because I can't defend you." Max said quietly, looking through the RV at her girlfriend in the driver's seat.

"You have to trust us though, we're in this together." Rachel placed her hands on both of Max's cheeks, turning her face gently so their eyes met. "We need you healthy, not falling apart." She smiled.

Max sighed and nodded as best as she could with the blonde holding her face. "I'll try not to keep pushing it so far." She muttered, her eyes locked on Rachel's hazel eyes. There was that energy in their touch again, she gently pulled Rachel's hands away from her face to cut it off. Neither of them had managed to control their emotional connection yet and it was only getting stronger as they touched.

"Thanks for patching me up." Max smiled weakly. "Pass me a shirt?"

"Sure." Rachel smirked, handing her one of the plain black shirts any one of them could have worn at some point. Sharing clothes was becoming a normal occurance, despite original attempts at keeping their wardrobes separate.

"How's our stock market job coming along?" Max asked, struggling with her shirt.

Rachel helped her get the shirt on properly, laughing at the smaller girl's struggle. "It's coming, but until we know when you can photo jump to, we're stuck."

"Maybe I can look at a few of my old selfies? Try to guess when I took them?" Max offered. "I really need something to do today."

"Yeah sure, but no trying to jump, okay? I don't want you coming back and getting blood on those fresh bandages." Rachel grinned, getting up and looking for the Seattle photo box they'd taken into the living area of the RV. She returned fairly quickly with the box in her hands and dropped it down on the bed.

"This one is a no." Rachel said, showing Max the dated one she'd used to save the blonde.

"Yeah... we can't accidentally change something." Max said, looking at the writing on the photo. "If we're creating a causal loop, is it possible there are already photos in there that I've dated?" She asked.

"We've looked at them all." Rachel said. "Shit... we shouldn't have done that, right?"

"It means I can't date them in the past without creating a problem." Max said, looking at some of the photos and tossing them aside. They were from day trips, she wouldn't be near a computer to do whatever task she had to. "I'll have to use a photo, check the date, and let the time run out. Then write it down on a sheet of paper here."

"That's going to take a lot of work."

"We have some time to make guesses, for now." Max smiled. Their hands brushed against one anothers as they reached into the box to pick out photos, causing that same emotional energy to shock through them. It was becoming more irritating the more it happened.

"You keep getting the same feeling, right?" Rachel asked. "I'm not just imagining that?"

"I feel it." Max said, trying to ignore the rush of emotions currently assaulting her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"Glad I'm not the only one." Rachel said quietly. Max opened her eyes once more and saw the blonde was staying busy, looking through the photographs for any that were taken in a bedroom rather than on a trip or with friends.

Max kept herself busy doing the same thing, laying out the pictures that looked like they could work. They really didn't want to mess up the timeline by getting this wrong, it had to be the perfect job. When the RV stopped for the first time that day it was the signal for Rachel and Chloe to switch roles. Chloe came into the bedroom while Rachel filled the gas tank, then continued driving. They had no destination in mind, they weren't even in a hurry to get anywhere. They'd passed through Chicago already, though said they'd be back to explore it properly when they didn't have a target on their backs.

Chloe continued the job Rachel had been doing, but Max was trying to get the punk to show her some attention. Pointing out really bad pictures, playing with her hair, but the blunette was looking forlorn and it broke Max's heart to see her like that.

"Max to Chloe..." She said softly.

Chloe looked up from the picture she'd been staring at. "Huh?"

"Close the door." Max smiled. The punk did as she was told and sat back down on the bed. "Now... you have two choices. Tell me what's wrong... or kiss me." She said, trying to be playful.

"Your connection with Rachel..." Chloe said quietly. "I dunno... I just feel left out."

"You'd like to be feeling her thoughts all the time?" Max asked, putting away some of the pictures.

"No... but I'd like to feel yours." Chloe shook her head. "I just feel... like I'm losing you to her."

"Chloe Elizabeth Price." Max said, full naming her girlfriend for the first time in years. "You are not losing me to anybody." She pushed the picture box off the bed and carefully straddled Chloe's lap, trying to look into her blue eyes. Chloe happily responded, straightening her legs out and leaning back without falling off the low bed.

"Sure you should be getting your blood pressure up?" Chloe smiled softly, placing her hands on Max's hips.

"I haven't had proper... time... with you in two weeks. Damn right I need to get my blood pressure up." Max laughed, pressing her forehead to Chloe's and almost kissing her.

"Won't Rachel..." Chloe started to say, but Max stopped her by biting her bottom lip gently.

"She'll have to endure." Max said.

"What's got into you?" Chloe asked quietly before returning the playful bite.

If she said she didn't know where this was coming from, she'd be lying and apologising for it in seconds. She knew exactly where this need for Chloe was coming from, and Rachel shared half the blame. They kept passing their love of Chloe back and forth between each other like a ball, the tension building and building with each gentle touch, each brush of their skin. It had been making them both extremely uncomfortable, it was why when it happened they would busy themselves in another task, or break apart and change topics. Only Max could act on that passion, but she'd refrained from it due to her injuries and trying to spare Rachel the emotional assault she would endure. But Max needed this intimate time with her girlfriend, and Rachel was going to have to learn to endure it, or learn to shut it out.

She wrapped her arms around Chloe's neck and placed her lips against her girlfriend's ear. "I need some intimacy with you." She whispered, gently nibbling her ear.

"I don't want to hurt you." Chloe whispered, placing soft kisses against Max's neck. Max could tell her girlfriend was trying to control herself.

"You won't." Max smiled, brushing her nose and lips gently across Chloe's cheek to her waiting lips and kissing her with a soft intensity.

She felt Chloe's tongue gently lick her upper lip and happily accepted the progression of their kiss into one of a lover's kiss, teasing each other's tongues and lips. Max was so happy in the embrace, opening up her whole being to the girl she loved. They broke their kiss and moved further up the bed, but Max took control, pushing the punk to lie down with her head on her pillow and began kissing gently down her neck to her shoulder, enjoying the touch of Chloe's skin once more. Chloe was working her hands cautiously up Max's sides, pulling her shirt up and off the bandages, finally getting it up to beneath her arms. Max stopped her exploratory kisses and allowed her girlfriend to remove her shirt.

Max didn't waste a moment in getting Chloe's jacket and vest top off, determined to keep them on an even footing in case Rachel decided to walk in on them. If she was being caught without a top, so was Chloe. Her girlfriend happily complied, even going so far as to undo Max's jeans.

"Never done this in a moving vehicle." Chloe said as the RV turned slightly, almost making Max fall off her.

"New challenge." Max laughed, kissing across the top of Chloe's black bra.

"Challenge accepted!" Chloe grinned, lightly pulling Max's hair.

They'd managed to get each other's jeans off when they heard Rachel shout something inaudible, followed by Max's phone ringing in the pocket of her jeans. She leaned over and looked at the caller ID as Chloe kissed what she could of Max's lower back.

"Hello?" She asked, trying to keep her passion out of her voice.

"Would you two kindly stop fucking?" Rachel's voice said, inaudible in the RV but crystal clear on the phone.

"Uhm... wrong number?" Max laughed as Chloe's hands found the waistband of her underwear.

"Don't you fucking dare Max... I swear I'll punish you for this!"

"I'll accept that..." Max grinned, hanging up the phone and turning her attention back to her girlfriend.

* * *

 

Chloe looked longingly into her eyes as they lay under the sheets, Max's bandages lay forgotten on the floor for the time being. There was something different between them after their intimate session. Max had given herself over completely to Chloe, trusting her without reservation or fear. Embracing the passion between them. It felt new, it felt wonderful, and it showed in Chloe's eyes. There was another depth to them, something Max hadn't seen before. She lay her head on her girlfriend's chest, listening to the strength of her heartbeat. Chloe's hand was on top of the covers, the ring Max had gifted her on display for them both to see.

"You know..." Max said, playing with the ring slowly. "I... actually wanted to ask you something when I gave you that ring."

"Really?" Chloe asked, her fingertips running up and down Max's bare back, avoiding the bullet wound.

"I chickened out." Max admitted.

"And what would you have asked me?"

Max looked up from the ring into her girlfriend's beautiful blue eyes, framed so perfectly by the blue hair she adored so much. "Chloe Price... will you marry me?"


	11. Broken Hearts

"This is a disaster, Sean." The distorted voices were a thing of the past, the voice had a southern twang and belonged to a male, he sounded annoyed.

"I was under the impression..." Sean Prescott started to say, only to be cut off by one of the female coucil members.

"You were under the wrong impression then. You should have told us you had the Amber girl." The woman said, her British accent quite evident now.

"As well as one of the supernaturals." The third person said, another female and judging by her accent from Italy.

"It was a delicate situation..." Sean tried to speak again.

"A delicate situation that you handled badly." The British woman said. "Your estate had been infiltrated. This Amelia Holden played you for a fool and we have no idea how much information she managed to obtain from you, or either of the girls."

"Your work at Blackwell has been exemplary, but giving you the latitude to handle these matters has put us all at risk." A deep voice said, the fourth he'd heard so far. He had no idea how many were listening in on the conversation.

"We must capture the supernatural." A fifth voice said, a French male by the sounds of it.

"That could result in the death of more men, Miss Amber and Miss Caulfield." Sean said, trying to stop the Council from doing something rash.

"And Miss Price? Where does she fall into this?" The Italian asked.

"Expendable. But only if you have no intention of getting the Caulfield girl on side. Killing Miss Price will alienate both Caulfield and Amber, they would never willingly work for us if she ends up dead."

"Then what do you suggest? Allow them to go free? Risk our plans?" The first voice said.

"We can keep track of them, but we'll leave them to their own devices. If we see them start meeting with the infiltrators, we'll make a move." Sean said. "I think we should concentrate on Blackwell Academy, and proceed as planned."

"Sean is right." A synthetic voice said. "We will proceed as planned, we will continue to study and observe. Our overt actions are attracting the wrong kind of attention. I want full reports from all departments within six hours."

"Yes, Chairman." The council said in unity, including Sean Prescott.

* * *

 

Chloe was quiet and it was scaring Max. She'd just asked Chloe to marry her, but the punk had remained silent, her eyes locked on Max's, her mouth agape. _Oh fuck... please don't say no... please don't say..._

"Fuck yes!" Chloe shouted, pulling the brunette's body up her own so they could kiss. "Fuck yes!" She said again.

"You mean it?" Max asked, looking at her girlfriend feeling slightly worried.

"Don't be stupid babe, of course I fucking mean it!" Chloe said, smiling widely. "Yes, yes and fuck yes I'll marry you!"

Max smiled and kissed her fiancée passionately on the lips. Chloe wrapped her arms around her small body, keeping her held close to her despite the dull throb in her chest from the pressure. Max bit Chloe's bottom lip teasingly, looking into her blue eyes, but Chloe was looking around them confused.

Max released the blunette's lip. "What's wrong?"

"Why can't I hear the engine?" Chloe asked, looking around Max to the sliding door. "Why can't I hear anything?" Chloe gasped and pointed past Max, who turned and looked at the effects of the world around them. A fly was above them, dead still, it wasn't moving. They could see the details of it's wings perfectly, yet it was in the air, flying.

"Oh... fuck." Max muttered, looked for other effects of what she was believing to be frozen time.

"Are you doing this?" Chloe asked, picking up her phone and releasing it in midair, where it remained.

"I don't remember... I don't..." Max whispered, rolling to be alongside Chloe without breaking their physical connection.

"It's fucking amazing if you are." Chloe said quietly, turning to face Max and kissing her nose. "You're not... feeling tired?"

"No... I feel fucking amazing." Max admitted, running her finger along Chloe's collarbone. "I feel alive, for the first time in weeks. I feel like I could do anything." She smiled into her blue eyes, unafraid of the strangeness of the world around them, happily sharing this amazing moment with the girl she loved. "In one night... I've asked you to marry me, and allowed you to share my powers. No fucking way could I feel any other way."

Chloe grinned and kissed her softly, a happy connection shared between them that they definitely didn't have earlier that day. It wasn't like the connection to Rachel, it was something so much better to Max. Unfortunately Max's body wasn't up to the task of holding the freeze for much longer, she could feel a warm liquid trickling down her back and knew it was time to end the power. She let out a deep breath and the world continued to normal, the phone dropping onto the bed beside Chloe and the fly zooming away from them.

"You okay?" Chloe asked, then she touched the blood on Max's back and nodded an understanding. "It's okay." She smiled, but didn't panic.

"I'll always be okay with you Chloe." Max said, ignoring the pain in her body and cuddling as close to Chloe as she could. "I just... need a little rest." She smiled weakly.

They remained in each others arms, listening to the engine of the RV, feeling the corners as Rachel carefully manoeuvred the vehicle into a parking space. Max was only slightly aware as the sliding door opened and Rachel stood there, with her hands on her hips looking at Max with an annoyance on her stunning features. Chloe headed off the angry blonde by flashing up her ring, which she'd moved to her ring finger on her left hand.

"No fucking way?" Rachel asked incredulously.

"Very fucking way." Chloe grinned, holding Max close to her body. "Max asked after we..."

"Assaulted me with a lot of fucking feelings while I was driving a large cumbersome vehicle." Rachel said, sitting at the foot of the bed.

"Sorry Rachel." Max muttered quietly, her eyelids half closed as she remained resting on Chloe. "I needed my girl."

"I'll get you back for it." Rachel smiled, her annoyance disappearing in light of the recent news. "Unless you can learn to block me out by then."

"Yeah, because we're doing such a good job of it so far."

"At least I didn't get images." Rachel smirked, looking at Chloe's covered body. "So engaged huh?"

"Yeah... no idea when we'll set the big day, or who gets to wear what, or where... but... I can live with that." Chloe smiled, stroking Max's back gently while trying to avoid the drying blood.

"You've been bleeding again..." Rachel said, noticing Max's exposed back.

"Max did a... sort of accidental freeze." Chloe said. "And I got to be apart of it." She smiled happily.

"That is fucking awesome." Rachel shouted. "Bad, because she's supposed to be resting." She looked at Max and smiled softly. "But hella awesome."

"And now she would really like to rest." Max smirked, nuzzling into Chloe gently. "How about you get us take out?"

"Oh I see how it is... send the third wheel on the food run." Rachel laughed. "I'll do it, but only because you're both naked and I'd like to get out of this RV for a bit."

"Make sure you take your phone." Chloe said. "I don't want to lose this night because you went missing."

"I'll text you the whole time." Rachel smiled. "If I'm not back in two hours Max... rewind us." She winked.

"Deal." Max said. "I think I can manage that."

Rachel opened Max's camera bag, took out her camera and took a very intimate picture of the two girls in bed. "There... just in case." Rachel said, passing the photo to Chloe and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back soon."

Chloe set an alarm on her phone as soon as she heard the RV door close, then got out of bed and pulled on some underwear and a shirt. Max remained on her side, watching her soulmate busy herself around the RV while they waited. She knew she should get up too, but she still felt really tired and didn't want another attack of pain while Rachel was away. Chloe returned to their bedroom a moment later with the medical bag and began tenderly cleaning Max's back wound.

"Hopefully I can get better soon." Max said, wincing as Chloe put pressure against the wound.

"If you weren't rewinding for who knows how many days, you probably would be." Chloe replied.

"Amelia said three to six months."

"And we're not even through the first month." Chloe kissed her shoulder softly. "So stop being stubborn."

"I suppose I have to listen to you now, if we're getting married." Max smiled.

"You should be listening to me anyway." Chloe laughed. "We'll skip the body bandage for the night. Small patches instead."

"Sounds better than feeling like I'm wearing a corset again."

"I don't know why Rachel insists on bandaging you up completely..." Chloe commented casually.

"She doesn't want to have to keep taping me up in two places." Max said, remembering one of her earlier conversations with Rachel.

"Would you like me to take over the medical stuff?" Chloe asked, pressing down the tape to Max's skin.

"No, it's okay. Rach does a good job." Max rolled gingerly onto her back when Chloe was done and looked at her face. "But I wouldn't say no to more time like earlier." She smirked teasingly.

"Not exactly fair on Rach though." Chloe shook her head, but she couldn't hide the smirk on her lips.

"I know, but maybe it will give us some incentive to close that connection? She doesn't want to feel those emotions, and I don't want her feeling them."

"You should both be working on that anyway." Chloe closed up the bag and pushed it towards the door but didn't leave Max's side.

"It's not easy. Every time we touch it's like... lightning, it opens up the connection some more." Max said, trying to describe the feeling.

"Every time?"

"When we're not prepared for it, yeah. When she's checking my wound there's nothing, but when we were looking through the photos and our hands brushed it was... like a bolt of lightning." Max looked into Chloe's eyes, hoping she wasn't hurt. It was a nice surprise to see Chloe smiling at her happily, as though it didn't matter at all.

"You'll just have to work on it." Chloe said, taking Max's hand and giving it a kiss. "I don't think I could handle both of my girls crying at the exact same time on our wedding day."

Max laughed and rolled onto her side towards Chloe, mostly to remove the pressure on her back but also so she could kiss her darling punk. "I'm working on it..." She whispered, licking Chloe's upper lip.

"You've certainly grown more confident." Chloe grinned.

"What can I say... you inspire me." Max smirked, biting Chloe's bottom lip before kissing her deeply.

Chloe's phone started ringing, forcing them to break their kiss.

"Hello?" She said. "Hang on." She put the phone on speaker. "You're on speaker."

"Stop fucking kissing and tell me what pizza you want." Rachel said trying not to laugh.

"We weren't kissing." Chloe lied, smiling at Max.

"Bullshit. And you know why I'm saying bullshit. Now tell me your order, or you'll get what you're given."

"Pepperoni please." Max said, staring into her fiancée's eyes.

"Alright, I'll be back soon. Try to lay off the smoochy smoochy while I'm out, okay?" She lowered her voice. "It feels fucking weird when I'm out."

"Okay, we'll lay off... just for you." Max smirked at Chloe.

"Thank you!" Rachel said, hanging up the phone.

Chloe eyed Max up suspiciously. Max could already tell what the blunette was thinking, she wanted to start kissing again and Max wanted the exact same thing.

* * *

 

"You two are like horny fucking teenagers." Rachel said over an hour later, dropping the pizza box on the bed.

"I am a teenager." Max smirked, sticking her tongue out.

"I was asked three fucking times on the way back if I was feeling okay." Rachel sat herself down on the bottom of the bed, her eyes on Max and Chloe who were both beneath the covers again.

"Max..." Chloe started to lie.

"No Chloe... no blaming Max. She was tired when I left." Rachel said, opening the box and taking a slice of the pizza for herself.

"I found my second wind." Max grinned, taking a shirt off the floor only for Chloe to take it and help her put it on. "Thank you." She smiled, sitting up to take a slice of the pizza.

"Bullshit. You were half asleep!" Rachel laughed. Max could tell she was only doing this for a joke, her emotions were far from angry or annoyed. The blonde was enjoying the laughs, especially after all she'd suffered through.

"What can I say... I found the energy." Max said between mouthfuls.

Chloe pulled on her discarded vest top and sat up alongside Max, taking a slice of the pizza without complaint.

"You know... my Dad is probably going insane right now." Max said, thinking about how long it had been since she'd text her parents.

"I'm sorry sweetie." Rachel said, rubbing Max's knee through the cover. "Do you know the number? We can find a pay phone or something?"

"It's probably safer for them if I stay away."

"It's safer for Step-Douche if he stays away from me." Chloe said, nudging Max in the side. "I'd be trying to kill him after what we found out from Holden."

"I can't believe he was that fucking stupid." Rachel shook her head. "I know he's all about safety but... what a fucking idiot. You know he tried accusing me of being a drug mule?"

"Rach... you were sneaking drugs into Vortex parties." Chloe looked at the blonde. Max could tell she was caught between having a go at the blonde and trying to remain jovial.

"Yeah but..."

"And you got caught, and you ended up on the receiving end of those fucking drugs." Chloe continued. "I may have hit all the fucking levels on the way down, but I wasn't swimming in the sewage at the bottom."

Max could feel the sting in those words, enhanced by how hurt Rachel felt at that exact moment in time. Rachel had opened herself up to that, and Chloe had plunged in the knife. The conversation died with Chloe's statement, resigning the girls to eating in silence. As much as Max had believed their problems were behind them, Chloe had shown that she was not quite over what happened in Arcadia Bay before Rachel's disappearance, nor what she had found out during the storm week with Max.

* * *

 

That night as Max dosed between wakefulness and sleep she heard Rachel get up and leave the bedroom. The girl's emotions were like hammers against Max's mind, assaulting her with grief, loneliness, sadness, fear, disgust. She was hurting so much but Max had no idea how to help her. Rachel hadn't even tried to defend herself from Chloe's sudden hostility, instead resigning herself to that thousand yard stare as they ate in silence. Max carefully moved herself away from her sleeping lover and followed after the distraught blonde, finding her at the front of the RV in the passenger seat wrapped up in one of her blankets.

"Did I wake you?" Rachel whispered, looking at the struggling brunette.

"Wasn't asleep." Max replied quietly, sitting herself in the driver's seat. Rachel picked up one of the other blankets she'd brought with her and tossed it to Max, who happily wrapped it around her bare legs.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, watching each other's slight movements, feeling each other's emotions running along the tether between them. Rachel was trying so hard to suppress her pain, but Max could still feel it in their connection. She didn't say anything, instead choosing to give the girl the time to process her thoughts. It had turned into an unspoken bond between them, to give each other the time to process how they were feeling for themselves before trying to explain it to the other. Max knew the emotions she was sending to the blonde were of concern for her, pity at how badly things were turning out.

"I've lost both my parents." Rachel said quietly. "And now I've lost Chloe... and for so long we were so close. I'd text her and I knew she'd text me back right away. We never even spent a night apart if we could help it." She wiped a tear out of her eyes. "My life... was a lie when Chloe and I first started hanging out. And she gave me a new one, she was always there for me. She never expected anything from me except my friendship. She was an awesome friend, and I lied to her."

"You must have had a reason though. You wouldn't just lie to her." Max said gently, trying to get comfortable under her blanket.

"I was trying to get out of Arcadia Bay, I was always trying to get away from there." Rachel looked at Max, a hard intensity in her eyes. "You managed to get out of that shit hole... but you went back. Why?"

"Blackwell... and Jefferson." Max answered uncomfortably. "Out of all of the photography programs in the country, I wanted to go to that one. I... also wanted to see Chloe again. I was in Arcadia Bay for a month before she almost ran me over with her truck."

"You didn't go looking for her?" Rachel asked.

"No I... you know I didn't."

"I only started feeling our connection in... October? I think. I don't know, it's all messed up. Emotions, visions."

"No I didn't go looking for Chloe." Max repeated sadly. "I was a terrible friend to her. I should have done a lot more for her."

"You saved her life... you couldn't do more than that. I broke her heart." Rachel once again wiped the tears out of her eyes and looked back through the RV to the bedroom. "She deserves so much better than me. She deserves somebody like you Max."

"I abandoned her for five years... I was lucky she didn't just run me over out of spite."

"You don't know Chloe if you think she'd hurt somebody she loves." Rachel smiled, looking back to Max. "She would sooner stab herself than hurt us."

"You're not the only one who failed her Rach. But you were there for her for three years, you made her life worth living, just like she gave you a new life... I... wish I could give you both that life back." Max could feel the sadness in Rachel's heart, a longing for somebody she could no longer be with. They both loved the same girl, but Rachel was afraid of that love while Max had managed to embrace it.

"Neither I, nor Chloe, will ever ask you to change time like that. It wouldn't be fair to you." Rachel said, leaning forward and placing a hand on Max's cheek. "Even though you feel like such a bad friend, that girl has opened her heart to you. She adores you Max, and I know how you feel about her. You deserve each other."

"But you don't deserve to keep feeling like shit because of your mistakes." Max said, taking hold of Rachel's hand and placing it on her lap. "You... really don't understand how you feel about her, do you?"

"I... thought I did. Which is why I went with Frank... but then after feeling what you feel, and experiencing some of your... moments with her. No, I really don't. But there's nothing I can do about it now either. I just want our friendship back." Rachel pulled her hand away from Max and sat back in her seat, pulling her knees up to her chin.

"There were times in October where I thought Chloe was just using me to replace you." Max admitted. "She was always telling me how great you are, how wonderful you are. She was devastated when we thought we'd found your body."

"I felt the same way when she told me about you." Rachel half-smirked. "She told me a lot about you, when we weren't getting into trouble. There were times I felt like I was competing with a ghost..."

"Which didn't help you feel as though Chloe really was interested." Max understood why Rachel had felt the way she did, why she had gone off with Frank. She was always looking for that completion, that somebody really wanted her for who she was.

"Yeah..." Rachel smiled weakly at Max as that understanding radiated through their connection. "Where do we go from here? We both love the same girl, and it keeps building in both of us when we're together."

"We have to learn to control our connection, to save the other from the pain. Your jealousy, my love. They're both going to hurt us." Max reasoned.

"But what about Chloe? If she's going to go on hating me for something I can't change... maybe it would be easier if I left?"

"But I can't be parted from you. Rach... you're a part of me now too, you understand my pain and my struggle better than Chloe ever will." Max said, ignoring her injury to stand up and hug the blonde.

"Sit down you idiot. I don't want you to hurt yourself." Rachel said.

Max did the unexpected, pushing Rachel's legs down so could sit on her lap, then wrapped her arms back around the blonde with a cheeky smile. "There, sitting down." Rachel wrapped the blanket over Max's legs once more to keep her warm and rest her head against Max's shoulder.

"I can't lose you both." The blonde said quietly.

"We'll find a way through this Rach. Chloe won't stay mad forever." Max rest her cheek on the top of Rachel's head.

"It's always just so... unexpected. One minute it's fine, we're all joking and then bang, she hits me right in the gut with it." Rachel complained, her voice slightly muffled by Max's shirt.

"She's struggling. We found out so much so quickly and we never thought we'd have all the answers, we just had to accept that you were gone." Max tried to explain. "It's harder for Chloe, because of how much she cares about you." Max could feel the blonde's dark feelings slowly fading away as she relaxed, Max's soothing words were having a positive effect just like she'd hoped.

"Maybe one day I could finally make it up to her." Rachel said, nuzzling unexpectedly into Max's shoulder.

"Just give her time." Max said, gently stroking the back of her hair. "Chloe always comes around in the end."

* * *

 

Max awoke on her side in the morning to an empty bed. She could hear Chloe banging around the kitchen, swearing every now and then as something didn't go her way. Max laughed quietly to herself and rolled onto her other side, Rachel was lying on the floor still asleep. She couldn't stop herself from watching over the girl protectively, wanting to pull her up onto the bed and let her sleep in some comfort rather than on the hard floor. Chloe had once offered to sleep on the floor for a night so Rachel could get a better night's sleep, but the blonde had refused and said it would be strange sleeping next to Max.

"She still asleep?" Chloe said, looking in through the doorway.

"Mhm. She had a bad night." Max said, looking at the blunette. She was already wearing jeans and a black vest top.

"I'm trying to make a nice breakfast." Chloe said, returning to her task but leaving the door open. "Make it up to her."

"We need a day to get all this shit out in the air." Max said, sitting up gingerly in bed to watch Chloe work.

"It's not like I'm planning to be a bitch." Chloe continued, looking at her. "It just slips out, when I'm not really thinking about it."

"I can believe that." Max smirked, glancing to the blonde who was beginning to stir. "But you two need to work it out, you've both been through a lot."

"It's not like I can go to the local liqueur store and buy us beer to get wasted on while we talk about our feels." Chloe said, dropping an egg on the floor. "Fuck."

"Says who? You've still got a fake ID right?" Max asked.

"Well... yeah... but it means we're stuck in one place for a couple of days while we sober up. I don't even want to risk driving this thing with a hang over."

"Then let's risk it, if it helps you two get past your problems."

"What problems?" Rachel said groggily, looking at Max through one open hazel eye.

"Your problems, you two. Because I don't want to be in the middle every day." Max said, pointing between the two girls.

"You told her?" Rachel blinked, trying to wake herself up.

"Told me what?" Chloe asked, leaning on the doorframe and staring at Max.

"Fuck." Rachel mumbled, pulling the covers over her head.

"Rachel couldn't sleep so we talked for a bit last night." Max explained. "I just want you two to get along, without the barbs."

"Beers it is." Chloe said, returning to her cooking.

"Did she say beers?" Rachel asked, her blonde hair and hazel eyes appearing from below the covers cautiously.

"She said beers." Max smiled.

"Yay... alcohol." Rachel grinned, her head dropping back down onto her pillow.

Chloe delivered the food to them both in bed, carefully helping to prop Max up so she didn't hurt her back too much while she ate. The pain was subsiding, it wasn't as raw as it had been which meant it was at least healing. She'd refrained from rewinding time as instructed by both of the girls in her life, though she missed the extra hour to get in some reading. Chloe's breakfast in bed was something Max always enjoyed, and with her injury it meant she was getting it almost regularly and always her choice of meal. Rachel never could complain either, she'd obviously become used to the nights she stayed at Chloe's where Joyce would cook their breakfast in the morning, something Max had certainly missed.

While they ate, Chloe got the RV ready for their daytime drive, with a small stop along the way to pick up some alcohol for Chloe's plan to get over their issues. Max had no idea if she would be indulging in the night's entertainment, as her painkillers specifically said not to mix with alcohol, but she figured she could pass on the medication for the night if her injury didn't complain too much. She would be going against her medics orders, but they were dead and Rachel was in charge now, and she would refuse to drink without Max.

Although they were trying to be responsible, both she and Rachel were still teenagers. Chloe was the twenty year old, but even she needed to cut loose once in a while, or she'd get bored. They needed something more than the four walls of the RV and the constant long drives, they needed to find their lives and enjoy them, but the only way for Max to find a start to those lives would be to kill everybody who aimed to do them harm, or give them such a good start they could hide from them instead. Hiding would require money, and they weren't being paid to travel. She was going to have to break her rule to never change the past without a good reason, because they had to survive. A part of her mind recalled that first dream all those months ago when she had been alone without Chloe. _How useful is a time traveler who isn't willing to break the rules a little bit and... change time._

She smiled to herself, content in her decision that it was the right thing to do. _We'll have a good night, I'll get better, and we'll fucking change time so we never have to steal, never have to kill and never have to be afraid of Prescott again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd just like to say thank you to everybody who's reading this fanfic. It is my second while the first was put on hold, but I've been enjoying writing this one a lot. Some of the situations I 'could' put these girls in... oh you're all in for a treat if you choose to stick with me!
> 
> Please comment, give me feedback, I love to see it, I love to know how readers are feeling about the events! It's a small confidence boost as I work on the chapters.
> 
> This is now the end of Chapter 11, this is not the end of this fic. There's more to come, there are answers to come, more questions, more free space, more love, jealousy, rewinds, freeze times, photo jumps, casual loops... I can't end it here. Thank you again for sticking with it and I hope to entertain you some more over the coming weeks into the New Year!


	12. Memories of the Future

The brunette, the blonde and the blunette sat around the hotel room they'd booked into. Their grand plan for the night had gone from chilling in the RV with a couple bottles of beer, to chilling in the RV with a lot of beer, to getting a hotel room and drinking wine and finally to getting a hotel room with a lot of wine, beer and snacks. It had been Rachel's idea to cut loose for the night, considering all they'd been through and the sad fact that Max was only getting to see the inside of their RV and a little bit of whatever RV park they stopped at through a window.

"It won't help your recovery." Were her wise words that finally persuaded Max and Chloe to get out of the RV for just one night.

It also gave them more space if anything was said that somebody didn't like so they could walk away from it and cool off. The cost of the night hadn't put any major dent in their funds so Max didn't think it could hurt in the long run, especially if it meant an easier time in the RV afterwards. This whole night was about trying to make things easier, but forcing a situation could be devastating. They had to come to terms with things themselves.

"So where should we start?" Rachel said, sitting on the couch that was against the wall opposite the bed.

"With the beer." Chloe said, passing bottles around.

"I meant..."

"I know what you meant." Chloe sat on the bed beside Max and opened her bottle for her.

"Thank you." Max smiled, she never did like the taste of beer, but tonight was important and there was no way she'd be the last woman standing.

"Look we need to get past this shit, or we're going to keep going round in circles." Rachel said, cracking open her own bottle.

"So let's start from the top." Chloe said, taking a sip from her own bottle. "You were always telling me how much you wanted us to leave Arcadia Bay. Then you fucked Frank because he was your next best option, then you fucked Jeffershit because he was definitely your best option. While you were still telling me how we should leave Arcadia Bay together."

"It wasn't like that!" Rachel took a sip of her own beer. "It wasn't like I was going from one person to the next..."

"You asked a trucker to take you out of Arcadia too." Max added, sipping her beer and hating the taste.

"You should be drinking the wine if you don't like beer." Rachel said, feeling Max's dislike of the beer.

"Would you rather have the wine?" Chloe asked, ignoring Max's addition to their conversation for a moment.

"Sure..." Max said, releasing her grip on the beer bottle so Chloe could take it. The punk quickly found a plastic cup out of a bag and filled it with red wine for Max.

"And yes, okay, I was asking around to get out of Arcadia, but I really wanted to get away from that shit hole!" Rachel continued as Chloe handed Max the cup.

"We had a plan though, so where in your grand scheme did I come into it?" Chloe asked, sitting back down beside Max.

"If I could get the money out of Frank I was going to..."

"To what? Fix up the truck? You didn't need the fucking truck if you had Frank's RV." Max placed a calming hand on Chloe's leg, who seemed to accept the touch, sitting back into the pillows.

"Frank was never going to leave Arcadia, he had too much of a good thing for himself." Rachel muttered. "He was... a distraction."

"A distraction? From what?"

"From you." Rachel admitted. "Those first few days together were just... so intense. And after I was in hospital you became more clingy, more protective of me. But you never wanted to go any further, I was frustrated and after everything that happened, I needed to distract myself from how I felt about you."

"Oh." Chloe looked like she'd been hit in the chest, she took a long drink from her bottle and shook her head sharply. "So... I..."

"You never wanted to go that far, and when we started to, you'd stop." Rachel smiled weakly. "So whenever I was getting drugs from Frank... I started giving in to him more and more, leading him along. It gave me something else to think about, until he turned violent. So I broke it off, and settled in the monotony with you again."

"You were... acting with me?"

"I was acting for myself. I never stopped caring about you, but whenever we'd get close..." Rachel took a deep breath. "I was acting to save myself from the pain."

Max was slowly starting to understand just what happened between them. She was feeling Rachel's emotions as the girl felt them, and wanted to jump off the bed and hug the girl but she knew Chloe needed her too. She was caught in an impossible position. It was Rachel's turn to take a long drink of her beer, but when she looked back at them she was on the verge of tears.

"Chloe Price, I fucking loved you!" Rachel cried, practically forcing Max to abandon Chloe to crawl off the bed to the couch and hug the hurting blonde. She could feel that raw pain and it hurt her too. "I wanted something more with you and it never happened."

Chloe looked between Max and Rachel, her mouth slightly open, she looked as though she was trying to work out what to say. She looked to Max for support, but Max could only shrug her shoulders. They knew something was going to be said but neither of them had expected such an honest confession from Rachel.

"I'm sorry... Rachel. I... kind of knew." Chloe admitted slowly. "But I didn't know how to say it. I didn't know how to... go there with you." Chloe looked to be on the verge of tears now too and Max was once more torn between the two of them.

"I thought... maybe you didn't like girls in that way after all... and then after watching you and Max together for six months I knew that wasn't it." Rachel said, holding onto Max with a need neither she nor Max had ever experienced before. "I... I was with Frank to get over you... and then I was with Jefferson because I thought I could escape."

Chloe got off the bed with her beer bottle in hand, walked over and settled on her knees in front of the blonde. Max couldn't let Rachel go, but she put an arm out for Chloe to hug her too, which the punk happily accepted, bringing her closer to Rachel. "Rach... I loved you too. But... I never knew what to say, I never knew how to... oh fuck."

"You were so much more confident that weekend, you opened up to me so much and then... what we had was gone. We never escaped Arcadia Bay Chloe. I died there."

Chloe put an arm around Rachel too and the three girls remained tightly embraced as tears flooded their eyes. Max could feel all of the conflicting emotions in Rachel, all the years of loving Chloe but without any of the joy Max had from actually being romantic with the girl. She wished she could have done more for the girl, given them something they both clearly wanted. Even Chloe who had closely guarded her feelings for Rachel from Max. _There's no way to change this without destroying our relationship._ She thought sadly. Rachel's hazel eyes glanced at Max, the blonde knew what she was thinking and gently shook her head.

"I'm so sorry." Chloe whispered, unaware of Max's dilemma. "I... I should have done so much better."

"I know I fucked up with Frank, with Jefferson. I know I broke your heart, but... you have no idea how it felt for me." Rachel said quietly, her forehead gently touching Chloe's. "I had the best girl in the world and... I never had you, not properly."

Max sat on the bed in silence, listening to the two girls talk and drink for the next hour, trying to work through their emotional turmoil. She had nothing she could add, nothing she could say to put it all right. It was almost a torture listening to her fiancée telling another person how much they meant to them and why they were hurting so much in turn. Max kept drinking the wine, half listening half wanting to sleep and let this new nightmare be over. But she heard something that struck a chord in her mind.

"It was like... I had this idea that I couldn't ever be happy with you." Rachel said, wrapped in Chloe's arms on the couch. "Always nagging at the back of my mind."

"When did that start?" Chloe asked, sipping from her third bottle of beer.

"In the hospital, after you told me the truth. You never lied to me, you knew I would never let it go and I loved you all the more for that, but I always had... this doubt in my mind, telling me it would never last. That you would... find something better." Rachel looked to Max and smiled weakly. "I was right." She laughed softly.

Max knew that feeling, knew how it felt to have an idea in her head she couldn't shake or couldn't understand, one that kept repeating and repeating until she listened to it. She became lost in her thoughts, thinking of all that it had taken to get here, all of the lives she had taken. She put her cup down on the bed side table and looked at the two girls and couldn't help but wonder how different things could be for them if Max wasn't in the way. It was a dark thought she couldn't shake as she slowly fell asleep.

* * *

 

Chloe's bedroom was trashed, clothes strewn across the floor, laptop shattered across the bed, boxes ripped open and looted. Chloe's skateboards were all snapped in half. It was like her mind was in turmoil and this was the physical represenation of it. She threw open the bedroom door and stepped out into the void of the free space, echoes of the past pressing in around her. The dead would appear around her, screaming words of insults or warning. She closed her mind to them, replacing them with the zooming images of possible timelines. There was one she was looking for, something specific, something important. Rachel's words of a doubt being Max's sole driving force.

"What'cha looking for Maxi?" Rachel appeared alongside her, quickly taking hold of Max's hand.

"You placed an idea in my mind. You remember?" Max asked, striding through the pictures with her purpose.

"Of course. My last act on the mortal plane." Rachel replied, flicking her hair over her shoulder.

"Did you place an idea in somebody else?" Max stopped and turned on the blonde. "Rachel Amber by any chance?"

"Oh... I see. You think her doubt is down to an outside force."

"I think her doubt is down to somebody playing with the timeline." Max retorted, looking at the red lined sky on the black void.

"I once asked you to concentrate on walking the timeline with Chloe, not alone. Do you remember that?"

"No." Max answered, trying to understand how the images around her worked, whether they were random or part of her own mind. "Why can't this be simpler?!" She shouted.

"Well I did. I told you I would prefer you focus on walking the timeline with Chloe, not coming here alone."

"But I'm not alone if you're here." Max said absently, trying to concentrate on organising the chaos around her. Then it came to her, photo gallery. In an instant the chaos shifted around her and formed a consistent art gallery. Picture frames hung on pristine white walls with name labels beneath them.

"You're learning... fast." Rachel said, keeping up with Max as she walked into the twisting maze of pictures. "I didn't expect you to pick up on this so quickly."

"Something Rachel said, about having a doubt, it doesn't make sense. That girl... I know her. It felt wrong, it felt... unnatural." Max said, looking at each picture as she passed. There were still too many and she had no idea how long she would have here.

"Maybe that's just her natural feeling at that time in her life? That nothing will last?" Rachel said, crossing her arms beside her. "You can't control everything Max."

Max closed her eyes and focused on finding the picture she was looking for, when she opened them the gallery had shifted around her with the picture directly in front of her laced with the red from the visible sky above. Rachel lying in a hospital bed with Chloe sat beside her. It looked like such a sweet moment, how the two girls were looking at one another. It broke something in Max, for some reason she couldn't recall Chloe ever looking at her that way.

"Max, stop." Rachel said, placing a soft hand on her shoulder. "I can't let you do this without looking at the outcome."

"What outcome?" Max asked sadly.

"If you're going to go down this road, you need to understand how it works, without breaking something first. Because this... this ability is not something you can take back. It is deep, it is literally playing with somebody's mind and fixing it is not as easy as trying to make sure it never happened." Rachel said, a wisdom showing from behind her hazel eyes that Max had never seen before. "You need to understand it first, this is not a leap before you look."

"I thought you couldn't help me anymore?" Max asked suspiciously.

"You already understand what you're about to do, of that I have no doubt. I am giving you a nudge." Rachel put out her hand for Max to take. "Please, trust me."

Max reluctantly took Rachel's hand, who gently pulled her down one of the aisles of the art gallery, pulling her along pictures of Rachel and Chloe over their two years together that were shifting gently as they passed. Rachel stopped and folded her arms, looking from left to right. She seemed confused, but merely turned and looked at Max.

"Follow the aisle, work it out for yourself." She said softly.

Max frowned and slowly started walking down the aisle, looking at all of the pictures on both sides. On her right a picture showed Rachel and Frank in his RV in his bed, while on the left it showed Chloe and Rachel in bed together instead. The next picture on the right showed Rachel with Nathan in the Dark room, who was holding a syringe. The left, Chloe and Rachel in their truck at the junkyard. Max could see the love in their eyes and almost started crying. She moved on, already understanding how the freespace was showing things. The left was the possible timeline while the right was the timeline they had now. Closer and closer to the end she got, names and dates on the pictures showing the build up to October, where she finally saw Chloe and herself in the truck on the right in Arcadia Bay. On the left, Chloe and Rachel were in LA. They'd left, they'd finally got away.

Then her heart almost stopped. On the right, Chloe and herself watching the tornado rip apart the bay. On the left, an unmarked grave. She knew without being told who was in the grave, because her camera bag was thrown callously across the fresh dirt. If she changed the timeline for Chloe and Rachel, she would die. There was no alternative, there was no Chloe to save her life. She stared at it for some time, trying to think up ways to avoid that fate, the picture would shimmer at each new idea but always remain the same, always the same outcome. If Rachel and Chloe ended up together, Max would always die.

She sat with her back against the tornado picture wall, staring at her other fate. Every variable she could think of in the timeline resulting in the same outcome. Chloe would not remain in Arcadia Bay, there was no blue haired saviour, no blonde to bring her back from the dead. It was quite literally a dead end road.

"You see... this is why I had to warn you." Rachel said, sitting beside her. "This is why I told you to concentrate on walking through time with Chloe. If you changed your fate, you can't ever fix it."

"Do you know... how much it hurts to see them together, even now?" Max started to cry.

"Yes, I do."

"I feel like... they're the two that are destined and I just got lucky." She continued, trying to wipe the tears away.

"There's one problem." Rachel said quietly. "I didn't put that idea in Rachel's head."

"I did." Max cried harder. "Another fucking causal loop, created by me, to save my own fucking life."

"Correct, because when you connect to Rachel in that hospital room, you start the foundation of your own revival. That will grow and grow until the moment you die, when she can bring you back."

"I have to hurt the two people I care about most, just to save my own damn life. How much of a shitty person have I become to do that?"

"Who says you have to do it now?" Rachel asked sadly. "Time is your power Max, you have until the day you die to decide."

"Is that why you're here? A future of myself who chose to remain in a loop so Rachel and Chloe could be happy?"

Rachel laughed and shook her head. "I'm not a future you, there's nothing to fear there."

"I'm going to remember this... aren't I?" Max asked sadly, it was something she didn't want to remember.

"Yes. But thankfully, you won't remember me, or how much pain I've just put you through." Rachel said sadly and kissed Max on the forehead. "Chloe loves you very much Max, just remember that through the hard times."

"I... don't want to go back." Max whispered and closed her eyes.

* * *

 

It was still dark outside the hotel windows when Max woke up. Chloe's body was pressed against her snugly, an arm wrapped around her waist to keep her close. Max didn't smile at the connection, after what she'd learned last night the touch hurt her. She was sickened with herself, with who she would become to save her own life. There was a time she could look forward to her future with Chloe, a time when she wanted nothing more than to marry her and settle down. It was gone, shattered like one of the many photographs. Carefully she moved away from Chloe and got out of the bed, rolling her shoulders gingerly to see how much pain she was in. It wasn't too bad today. She looked over at the couch where Rachel slept, a number of beer bottles arranged around the base of the furniture. It looked as though the two girls had gone through most of the beer between them so they should be fairly knocked out at this point.

Max took a deep breath, preparing for what she now planned to do, a new plan that she'd thought up in those last moments of free space. She pulled on her shoes, collected her jacket with the RV keys in it, picked up Rachel's phone with the extra number she'd need and quietly slipped out of their hotel room. She worked her way down the corridors and out through the lobby of the hotel, into the city they'd happened to find themselves in. She had no idea exactly where they were, but she knew where they'd parked the RV.

She worked her way through the quiet city, taking her time to pause and catch her breath, tweaking the plan in her mind as she went. Nobody bothered the punk girl with her blue highlight, they didn't care about her and she didn't care about them. She reached the RV park, popped open the door of their RV and quietly closed it behind her. She looked around the cramped interior, a place she had once felt so safe despite her earlier engagement with Prescott's thugs. It had been through a lot, traveled a lot of miles, kept them sheltered from the elements, a bastion for them to retreat to. She tossed her phone onto the table and walked into the bedroom, grabbing one of the bags they had acquired during their stay with Holden and started packing some clothes. She left out some of the personal items, like the dress and some of the clothes she shared with Chloe, there was no space for constant reminders. She had enough memories to hold her back.

Finally with the clothes packed she opened the medical bag and took the painkillers and fresh bandages, then dumped that back under their table. She opened the cupboards and took out snacks and canned drinks, then tested the weight of the bag on her back. It hurt, but she could manage, she would have to. The last thing she grabbed was the plans for their stock market job, everything the two girls had come up with, all the photos they could find that could help them to make it work. Max would need to test the dates and times of those photos, but if she had as many of them as possible it would help her. Without her there was no plan, so Chloe and Rachel weren't going to miss it.

Taking one last look around the RV she allowed tears to run down her cheek. She'd made her decision, she only hoped Rachel and Chloe could forgive her for it.

* * *

 

When Rachel woke up she knew something was wrong, she could feel it in her mind and in her gut. The close bond she had felt with Max for so long felt taut and twisted, but despite how long she'd had to understand the brunette she had never felt the girl feel like this. She rolled onto her side to look over at the bed, wondering if the girl was awake and wanted to talk, except she couldn't see the girl past all the covers and Chloe's possessive cuddling. She believed that if Chloe hadn't woken up, Max was still in her arms.

Last night was probably the worst and best night of her life. She knew how Chloe had felt, she hadn't been imagining it for all those years and it made her feel so happy to know that the girl she had cared for hadn't just been acting like everybody else. But it left a dark feeling in her heart, they'd lost those years of intimacy and they could never reclaim them, there was no way they could ask Max to give them another shot at those two years, and it wouldn't be fair to ask a girl to give up the love of her own life either.

Rachel got off the couch and stretched, and only by chance did she notice Max wasn't in the bed with Chloe. There was no wisp of brown and blue hair against the white pillow except for Chloe's blue. She walked through their hotel room and checked in the bathroom, but the door was open and no light was on. Next she decided to try texting her, which was when she noticed her phone was gone. All the pieces fit together, Max was gone and she'd taken her phone.

Rather than waking up Chloe and causing a panic, Rachel grabbed her shoes and jacket and quickly left the hotel room. She didn't rest until she reached the RV, parked just where they'd left it but with a light in the windows. As she approached the door opened and there was Max, with a large backpack and a set look on her sweet face.

"And just where the fuck do you think you're going?" Rachel said shaking her head. "Leaving us in the middle of the fucking night?"

"Rachel... I..." Max stuttered, looking around for Chloe. Rachel strode up to the brunette and pushed her lovingly back into the RV.

"No lying, I know exactly how you're feeling and you should have fucking talked to me." Rachel said, pulling the bag off Max's back and nudging her gently into the bedroom, as far from the door as she could get her. "And no fucking rewinding me either, okay?"

Max sat on the bed, her blue eyes locked on Rachel's, a stubborness she had seen all too often in Chloe's eyes over the years. She knew how to handle Chloe, Max should know better by now. "I can't keep hurting you both." Max mumbled quietly.

"You're not hurting us Max. We made our own decisions." She sat beside the brunette and put an arm around her. "You can't blame yourself for Chloe not making a real move on me, or for me doubting her."

"But I have to blame myself..." Max said, radiating how uncomfortable she felt at the moment. Rachel didn't relent, she was going to make Max talk to her one way or another.

"Tell me why, tell me what is going through your mind."

"I... haven't done it, yet, but I'm going to have to do it to close a fucking loop." Max said, looking down at her shoes and away from Rachel.

"What loop this time?" Rachel asked quietly, she could feel the shame in Max, the hatred for herself, Rachel couldn't understand why.

"Your doubts about Chloe..." Max sighed. "It's something I've learned I could do. I could... plant an idea, I could... make you doubt her."

"Oh..."

"I only just learned about it, because I was trying to find out if it had already been done... I had an idea, a fucking latin phrase that kept going round my mind. When you said the doubt kept going around yours, I wondered what had caused it and..."

"You got your answers, in that... place with me?" Rachel said, slowly understanding the petite girl.

"I got my answers. If... if you don't doubt Chloe your lives will be so much fucking better. When the storm hit Arcadia Bay... you would have been in LA together." Max explained.

"How do you know?"

"That... place. It's like... I can start to see possible timelines, I can... see what changing the past could cause. Rachel... I die in that timeline, there is no way around it. I always fucking die."

"If Chloe and I live together... you die?" Rachel asked, she was understanding all those twisted feelings Max was radiating, all the guilt, the sorrow, the pain. It was horrible that she had to go through this.

"Every... fucking... time." Max whispered, tears in her eyes. Rachel pulled her into a tight hug.

"Then you can't change it." Rachel said quietly. "You can't die for us Max. You can't leave us either."

"I... wanted you both to have a better life." Max cried, her face pressed against Rachel's shoulder, muffling her voice. "I want Chloe to be happy."

"Max... you fucking idiot... she is happy. I have never seen her happier! She fucking adores you."

"She adores you too..."

Rachel had no idea what to say to that. Once she would have loved the chance to be with Chloe, but not at the expense of somebody who would walk through hell for them both. Max kept doing the impossible, she would always be brilliant and Rachel had no idea how to tell her that, to tell her how much Chloe had spoken enthusiastically about Max last night.

"Let's... make a deal." Rachel said quietly. "You won't pull shit like this again... I won't tell Chloe... and you will make her the happiest I have ever seen her?"

Max looked up into her eyes, those blue eyes so much like Chloe's it almost hurt. "I don't want to see you unhappy." The girl said sadly.

"I still have her in my life, and I understand it now... I won't be unhappy if she's happy." Rachel smiled and kissed Max's forehead. "Do we have a deal?"

Max nodded quietly and snuggled into Rachel's embrace. There was something new between them, attaching itself to their connection in a way Rachel nor Max could understand. It felt complete, new and incredible. Rachel could hear the torment in Max's mind, she could feel the pain in her heart and right then, Max could feel the love Rachel had for them both.


	13. The Job

It had been two months since Max tried to leave in the middle of the night. Her wound was mostly healed but she no longer needed the constant assistance from the two caring girls in her life. Chloe continued to make her breakfast in bed despite this, she'd fallen into the routine and nobody wanted to break it. Her rewinds were back up to their strength before her injury, but she was also including Chloe in the two hour rewinds. If she was alone she figured she'd be able to push it further, but having an extra two hours a day with her soulmate was perfect for her. Normally they would read a book together or enjoy a couple of extra hours in bed, but Rachel seemed to understand that those two hours were theirs alone. She'd only interrupt if it was urgent, or if Max told her they'd completed her rewind for the day.

It was a nice routine to have settled into, but their money was down to only two thousand dollars. They'd had to buy more essentials with it being three of them now, and they'd bought a number of entertainment items over the weeks. Fortunately today was the day they got back down to their plan, a plan that could fuck everything up if they got it wrong.

Max entered the living area of their RV in the shorts and t-shirt Chloe had bought her a few days ago because of the warmer weather. The punk was still wearing her jeans and vest top and already sitting at the dining table, Rachel had her own shorts, showing off the dragon tattoo, and black t-shirt, a bright smile on her face in the passenger seat near the front.

"We're all set." Chloe smiled. "Every picture we could go through that looks like you're alone. If you end up with anybody... you're going to have to bluff."

"That's going to be fun." Max muttered, sitting down at the table. "I'm nervous." She admitted, looking at all of the pictures they had available.

"You've got this Max. Just use a picture, find the date and time, snap back, write it down." Rachel said, pulling her knees up to her chest.

"Easy for you to say." Max smirked. "If I fuck anything up..."

"We won't know, so don't ask us." Chloe said sadly.

"Ugh... here we go." Max said, picking up the first picture. She took a deep breath and focused on the picture of her, she could hear the laughter, the memories. Then she was there.

* * *

 

Eighteen pictures down, three of them almost tripped her up with a surprise visit from her Mom or Dad but Max had kept it together and bluffed. Those pictures were in the no pile, along with three others that were misleading as to her location when they were taken. She dabbed the tissue to her nose and shook her head, trying to clear the black spots that kept flickering in her eyesight.

"You need a break." Chloe said, handing her another tissue.

"Two more, make it a round twenty." Max argued, trying to reach for the next picture.

"No you don't." Rachel smiled, taking her hand to stop her. "You are tired, you are bleeding on our work and we don't want you making a mistake."

"Plus we have twelve here that will work if we can match it with stock market stuff. Which... you're not helping with." Chloe grinned, climbing out of her seat and allowing Rachel to take over. "You... are coming with me into the bedroom to get some rest."

"No, I can do more." Max argued again, but her fiancée was already pulling her out of her seat.

"Come on Max, I won't take no for an answer." Chloe retorted, kissing her forehead when she finally made her stand up. "You got this?" Chloe asked, looking at Rachel.

"I got this, make sure she rests." The blonde smiled, already typing on the laptop.

Max reluctantly allowed herself to be nudged into the bedroom where their bed looked so inviting after all of her jumps. The pillows were just waiting for her head to be placed upon them, inviting her to sleep. Chloe helped her into bed then lay down under the covers with her, brushing the long strand of blue out of the brunette's eyes.

"You've done well." Chloe whispered, kissing her nose.

"I could have done more." Max mumbled, trying not to close her eyes.

"And then I'd have been carrying you through instead." Chloe grinned, licking Max's lips teasingly. "You need some of that energy for me."

"Tease." Max whispered, trying to bite Chloe's tongue but missing her chance. "What do you two have to do now?" She asked, trying to understand what they were doing.

"We have to match the dates to fluctuations in the stock market. In depth shit." Chloe laughed. "But we'll explain each jump before you do them, we have..."

"All the time in the world." Max yawned and moved a little closer to her punk.

"Exactly." Chloe shifted closer to Max in turn, still playing with the blue strand of hair. "We should dye your hair blue."

"We already have one sexy, blue haired punk." Max grinned, hooking her leg over Chloe's so she could be as close as possible.

"I guess you're right... plus you look damn sexy with the one strand."

"How are we paying for the first buy with the stock market?" Max asked, changing the topic back to the job.

"You'll... have to use your bank account, and replace the money as soon as possible. You'll need to do a couple more jumps before we get started to check how much money you have at both of those moments."

"That's... complicated." Max whispered, her drowsiness was catching up with her.

"We'll make it as easy as possible, as simple as we can too."

"That won't work... if the money was already taken, it will still show that." She said, becoming more alert.

"Okay, okay... we'll plan for it. We'll just have to..."

"Do our best." Max smiled, placing her hand on the side of Chloe's face to pull her in for a loving kiss. Chloe responded just as Max wanted, kissing her back with an intensity she had been waiting for. Max wanted to show Chloe just what she meant to her again, but their moment was quickly ruined.

"Some of us are trying to work!" Rachel called through from the living area.

"Sorry!" Chloe shouted back, smiling cheekily at Max. "We'd better save it for later."

"Okay." Max smiled, allowing her eyes to close. She didn't fall asleep, she listened to Chloe breathing, to the rustle of her clothes as she got a little closer to Max. It was all small gestures, but Max could almost feel Chloe trying to be closer to her in a way they couldn't be in that moment. Max truly felt wanted and needed by her girl and it helped to temporarily dispel some of her grief over the last couple of months. She returned the gestures and nuzzled into Chloe's collarbone, smelling the girl's vest top and the sweat on her skin.

"Do you think this will work?" Max asked quietly.

"Fuck yeah... you're a time travel Goddess." Chloe replied.

Max smiled and kissed her collarbone gently. "I'm glad you have so much faith in me."

"Of course I have faith in you..." Chloe gently tilted her head back and Max opened her eyes to look into the blue of Chloe's. "We're getting married. I'd be pretty stupid to marry somebody I didn't have faith in."

Max laughed and smiled at the truth of Chloe's words and kissed her soulmate sweetly, trying to control her emotions so they didn't flood into Rachel. She felt the annoyance from Rachel and gently pulled away from her girlfriend. "She's fine tuned." Max whispered, pointing to the living area.

"She's spoiling our fun." Chloe said as quietly as possible so only Max could hear, a smirk on her face.

* * *

 

"What are they doing?" Sean asked loudly into the speaker phone on his desk. His computer was showing all of the recent surveillence pictures of the three girls, including Rachel Amber going out alone. Unfortunately it had shown very little of Max Caulfield over the last couple of months, concerning both he and the council that the girl was not in a fit condition.

"They've been parked up for almost a week. Normally they'd have moved on by now." A man responded, followed by the rustling of a bag.

"Could they be making a meet?" Sean asked, scrolling back up through the photos to the surveillance film footage at his hotel. The still frame was Caulfield lying on the floor in her own blood.

"It's possible, but we haven't seen anybody but Amber or Price. Caulfield hasn't left the RV at all." There was a crunching on the line, causing Sean to roll his eyes.

"Becker... I need your tactical assessment. Could you take the RV without losing your entire team?"

"No sir. Only if we could neutralize the traveler first, without knowing where she is in the vehicle, and no way to grab her outside of it, it's a critical risk." More crunching as the man spoke.

"Do you have to eat while we talk?" Sean asked, annoyed.

"Yes. I've been tailing three girls for months, I need to eat when I can." The man replied.

"Very well. Are your people ready to make a move if they have any... unexpected... visitors?"

"Yes. But once again I'll remind you, if we can not neutralize Caulfield, we are all dead."

"The supernatural is becoming more of a hindrance than a help. Her value is diminishing, Amber is the prize. Ready a plan to eliminate Maxine Caulfield if I give the word.

"That's doable." Becker sounded happier than he'd been at the start of their conversation.

"No explosions. We'll want the body to run tests at least, and we'd like to keep a low profile on this."

"Still doable. I'm surprised at you though boss. You've never missed a shot like that before."

"What?" Sean asked.

"You were practically next to the girl and you only shot her in the back. I'm surprised you didn't get rid of her completely."

"A... miscalculation on my part. I don't intend to allow it to happen again."

"All you have is your name and reputation." Becker said, a sarcastic tone to his voice.

"I await your call." Sean said, hanging up. _What are you doing... little girls?_ He thought to himself, watching the hotel video footage once more. He hated the moment the bullet hit the girl, the change in her demeanor, the way she dropped to the floor. He could still hear Rachel's scream in his head, an unbearable noise that spoke of unbearable pain and loss. There was something more to it, something unseen. He pondered the implications.

* * *

 

Max drummed her fingers on the dining table as the two girls argued and discussed the stock market information. They hadn't settled on their plan in two days, constantly arguing over how they should use the money and how it would work along the way. She tried paying attention to all the numbers and figures the two girls kept going over, positive that the information would be important, but she couldn't focus with all the nervousness she was feeling. Rachel kept glancing at her, offering a reassuring hand when Max's nerves felt at their strongest. Their bond was keeping Max sane, keeping her from running away from the possibility of failure. It was in moments like these that she felt closer to the blonde than Chloe, causing a level of discomfort that Rachel then felt, causing her to rescind that comforting hand. Their emotions were constantly ebbing and flowing around one another, Rachel's excitement colliding with Max's nerves, or their mutual love for the punk sat with them which would make Max want to express that love.

Strangely their dreams were starting to merge together as well now. They had only discovered this when they were laughing about a bad dream Chloe had one night, she was being chased down the street by Hawt Dog man, something they all found rather funny. Rachel had shared one of her more peculiar dreams, and Max could describe it as well. It was almost as though when their minds were at their most vulnerable they could share more information with one another. Their connection was stronger despite all their best efforts to control it, to limit that connection. Unfortunately it made Max's intimate time with Chloe less consistent, it was bad enough having Rachel in the same room with them, but they couldn't even have the time while Rachel was driving without the blonde getting all of Max's feelings.

"Okay..." Chloe said, looking once more over their plan. "We're done, there's nothing else we can do." She smiled weakly at Max. "It's all on you babe."

"You've got it all worked out?" Max asked, looking over all of their pieces of paper, the photographs, their notes. They needed a bigger table.

"Yeah. You'll go back, do the first buy." Rachel said pointing to the first photograph with a list of things she had to do beside it. "When you come back, we put a small red mark on the photo and you do the next one. We keep going until they're all done."

"And if something goes wrong?"

"You tell us, you go back to the previous photo and allow the time to run out. Then we mark it as blue when you come back and we try to... adjust for the error." Chloe smiled.

"You've both put a lot of work into this." Max gave Chloe's hand a squeeze as she admired all the work they'd done. "If this goes... wrong... I will find a way back to you both. I promise."

"We know you will Max." Rachel said with an encouraging smile.

"We've got this right, it'll work!" Chloe smirked. "When you finish the jumps we'll just need a bank account to put it in."

"Maybe Holden's friend can help us there?" Max said, pointing to Rachel's phone which was lying on the table.

"Cross that bridge if we get to it?" Rachel laughed.

"If." Max said, picking up her list of tasks for the first job.

"You sure you want to start now?" Chloe asked.

"Better now than never..." Max said nervously.

"You've got this." Rachel said, placing her hand on top of Chloe's and Max's. "We believe in you."

* * *

 

The first photo jump went as expected with no mistakes and no problems. Everything was still the same in the present, from the the blue in Max's hair down to the ring on Chloe's finger. They did a quick recap of the most important events in their history, satisfying their need to ensure the timeline, then they instructed Max on what she would need to do for the second jump. She was just as nervous as the first, but once again everything went as planned.

Over and over she performed the sequence of jumps they had laid out for her, transfering their money in the past, buying and selling the stocks exactly as the two girls had planned out. By the fifth jump Max was feeling the effects. Her nose had started to bleed ever so slightly, but not enough for her concerned partners in time to notice, but she was also struggling to keep the information in mind. She almost made a number of mistakes in the past that she really shouldn't have made.

"I need a small break." She said after the sixth, her nose wasn't just trickling it was a full on bleed, dropping into her lap.

"Everything okay?" Rachel asked as Chloe passed her a tissue.

"I almost made mistakes..." Max said, holding the tissue to her nose and looking at the last two pictures in front of her. She really wanted to complete the job in one sitting, but her body was aching and her mind felt scrambled.

"Okay, we can take a break. You haven't noticed anything wrong, right?" Chloe asked, the look of concern in her eyes was probably being mirrored back at her.

"No... so far the timeline feels... normal. All of the events we agreed to recite are spot on, as well as our relationship." Max smiled, holding Chloe's hand.

"You managed eighteen before... is it because you're actually making changes?" Rachel asked.

"Maybe... it's like my head is trying to... make sense of the changes." Max said, looking at the information by the seventh photo.

"You can take the rest of the day off if it helps?" Rachel asked, feeling Max's apprehension at continuing.

"No... I can do it. I can sleep tomorrow and... you guys can get on with the rest of our crazy plan." Max gingerly picked the next photo, took a deep breath and focused on the photo.

Twice more she made photo jumps, two more times she came back feeling more exhausted than before, her nose continuing to bleed down her front. She could see the black spots in her vision, she felt dizzy and sick but tried to control the feeling. Rachel got out of her seat and rushed to the toilet, Chloe rushed after her and Max heard the blonde throwing up. Max got out of her seat and leaned over the sink, trying to stop herself from throwing up too. She could hear Chloe trying to comfort the blonde as another wave of nausea assaulted them both. Max couldn't stand any longer, she fell to the floor with a bang and her vision gave out. She'd pushed herself too far and now they were both paying the price.

She heard Chloe calling her name in a panic, could feel her body being shaken but she was just too exhausted. She kept feeling the nauseating wave, passing back and forth between herself and Rachel and could hear the blonde retching into the toilet again when it happened. Max swallowed blood and tried to force her body to roll over, but she just couldn't get her limbs to respond to what she was telling them.

"Max!" Chloe shouted again, then Max felt the press of the floor against her back give way. A flash of blue flickered before her, Chloe's hair was inches from her face as she was being carried. She felt the soft pillow under her head, the comforting embrace of the mattress but she still felt sick. Rachel threw up again, then Max heard a distinct thud.

"Oh fuck not you too." She heard Chloe say. She heard the blunette curse over and over, then groan, then the mattress moved as another body was lay upon it next to Max. "Don't throw up in my bed..." Chloe mumbled, followed closely by an audible groan from Rachel.

Max tried to remain aware of what was going on around her, but she was struggling to get her eyes to work, struggling to make her limbs respond. She didn't want to leave Chloe alone to deal with this, but Max could feel her mind slowly slipping away, falling into the darkness that was settled over her eyes.

* * *

 

"Eight time changing events... in the space of a few hours... and you just kept pushing." Rachel said, sitting beside Max on Chloe's bed. "And why do you always come back here? I mean... you have your own bedroom, you have an RV, why here?"

"It's where I first kissed Chloe. It's where I felt... safe." Max answered honestly. "It's where I realised I'd fallen in love."

"Cute..." Rachel said, flickering into Chloe with her blue eyes and hair, her white shirt and blue jeans. Just as Max remembered her when they were in Arcadia Bay.

"Why the mask change?" Max asked.

"We have another... guest." Chloe said, using her thumb to point over her shoulder.

Lying on the bed was Rachel, her eyes closed and her chest gently rising and falling. Max quickly climbed up the bed to check on the girl, surprised to see her in the free space.

"Is she okay?" Max asked.

"She'll be fine... but she shouldn't be here." Chloe said, standing up and crossing her arms. "I... don't understand how this happened."

"Wouldn't she have her own... free space... to go to at times like this?"

"No... no she isn't like you. She doesn't need to make sense of chaos like you do, she doesn't have to understand timelines." Chloe answered. "Maybe... hmm... I need to go."

"Where are you going?"

"I'll see you soon, try to look after her." Chloe said, closing the bedroom door behind her as she left. Max jumped off the bed and pulled the door open, only free space was beyond the door, black and chaotic. Chloe was gone.

Rachel started to stir, first with a groan then moving in the bed. "What the hell happened?" She asked, a hand going to her head.

"I may have over done it." Max said, sitting back down on the bed. Rachel opened her eyes and looked around the room, perplexed.

"Why are we in Chloe's bedroom?" Rachel asked, looking into the old mirror beside the bed.

"We're not, well we are, but we're not... it's complicated." Max moved further up the bed to sit alongside the blonde.

"Then explain Max." Rachel said, looking at her. "Please."

"When I over use my powers I don't just pass out. I... come here." Max tried to explain. "It's where my mind goes... when it's trying to understand everything I've done."

"This is where you... found out you could plant an idea?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah. This is my... space." Max shrugged.

"Fucking hell."

"I think you're here because of our connection." Max took Rachel's hand gently and gave it a comforting squeeze. "I think whatever was happening to me traveled along our bond and when we both passed out, you got pulled along too."

"That is... fucking incredible. Your powers are just... hella awesome!" Rachel smiled, sitting closer to Max. "So I'm kind of, in your mind right now huh?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"So if I were to say... Chloe and you making out?" Rachel grinned.

"No, it's not just going to pop up and start happening." Max said. "I have to actually be thinking about it. So... an example. I want to change the room around us into an art gallery with pictures of the timeline." Max took a deep breath and focused on what she wanted. Rachel gasped as the room around them changed into just what Max had wanted, though the bed remained in the middle of the floor.

"Why's there a bed here?" Rachel asked.

"I... wanted to keep it because... comfy?" Max said, she wasn't actually sure.

"So all these pictures are..."

"Our timeline, everything that's happened we've witnessed. Together or apart." Max said, pointing to a picture of her and Rachel in the RV with the guitar. "See?"

"Holy shit..." Rachel got off the bed and looked at their picture. "You look so happy."

"I was... despite being in bed with a hole in my chest. I had Chloe, and you were playing me silly tunes." Max remained on the bed, watching the blonde move from picture to picture.

"Oh! I know this one. This one is when you and Chloe were..."

"No! You're not looking at that you perv!" Max tried to make the image disappear, but it stubbornly remained. "Ugh..."

"You both look so happy Max. Her eyes... you can see the love she has for you." Rachel smiled, though Max could feel some of the sadness in her heart.

Rachel kept looking around the gallery, looking at the pictures of the time she was missing. A slow build up of sadness was trickling between them, until Rachel reached the dark room picture. A picture Max hadn't realised she had willed into existence. A crash of emotional waves hit the two of them, forcing Max to get off the bed and rush to Rachel's side, holding the girl as she felt the dread from her time in that dark place.

"I got you." Max whispered as Rachel sunk to the floor.

"That... fucking... shit hole." Rachel cried, clutching at Max tightly as her own memories of the place began to appear in the images around the room. Blurred and broken, aware and shining. Rachel's memories were on full display to Max and it hurt her so much to see them all laid bare like this. Everything the two of them had experienced in that place flooded through them both, bringing them both to tears as they sat huddled on the floor, never letting go of the other as they shared their darkest fear between them.

Max felt the shame and guilt of putting Rachel through this, but the blonde would try to stop her. She'd try to console her, a weak smile on her lips but a smile all the same. They were both alive, they had both escaped that place. It was the strangest sensation as they worked through this fear together, comforting the other as they moved forwards in their emotional distress. They placed their foreheads against the others and looked into each other's eyes as the pain, the guilt, the fear and the dread washed its way out of them, replaced by the understanding and care of somebody else who had experienced it.

From chaos to understanding, it soothed their minds. Rachel smiled happily at Max and playfully nuzzled her nose, just like Max and Chloe would do. It was an intimate touch, something between lovers, but Max accepted it for what it was. An unspoken bond between them.

* * *

 

"Thank fuck!" Chloe shouted as the two girls started to come around. Max opened her eyes and was surprised when she was looking straight into Rachel's eyes. Chloe had propped both of their heads on her lap, trying to comfort them both at once.

"Hey." Max said weakly.

"Hey." Rachel replied.

"Well hey to the both of you too. What the fuck happened?" Chloe said, stroking the back of Max's hair.

"Over did it. But... we're better now." Max replied, smiling at Rachel who smiled back brightly.

"A lot fucking better." Rachel agreed, moving slightly so she could touch heads with Max.

"Oookay." Chloe sounded uncomfortable.

"How about we explain over..." Max didn't know the time, but she could feel how hungry she was.

"It's almost midnight." Chloe said.

"A very big midnight snack." Rachel laughed.

"This had better be fucking good." Chloe muttered, gently pushing the two girls off her so she could get off the bed. "After all...I'm fucking cooking because you both decided to pass the fuck out."

Rachel laughed and rolled back onto her side to stare at Max, who had also done the same. "Thank you Max." Rachel whispered softly. "You... continue to surprise me."

"Thank you too." Max smirked. "I never realised how... I'd been carrying that shit around."

"Oh yeah..." Chloe said, looking through their cupboards. "I checked our stocks while you were both sleeping."

"And?" Rachel asked.

"We're only millionaires now." Chloe grinned.

"Fuck the snack... let's go out!" Rachel shouted, jumping out of bed and rushing to hug Chloe tightly. "It fucking worked!"

"We still need a bank to put it in." Max said, lying on her back as Rachel came jumping back into the bedroom and over the bed.

"Already handled it. Kristine Prescott was Holden's mysterious contact, she set us up with an account and... I've already changed the log in details!" Chloe laughed. "I have had a lot of fucking time to work, I was not wasting it!"

"What did you promise Kristine for the favour?" Rachel asked, lying back down beside Max.

"We made a kind donation of two hundred thousand dollars to her cause, anonymously. She told me how to do it, nobody will know."

"Well done Price!" Rachel laughed, resting her head on Max's shoulder.

Max had no idea what to say. They'd done it, the plan had actually worked. They could finally sell the RV and disappear. She'd never have to rewind at an ATM again, they could go anywhere in the world. It was almost like a dream come true. They were finally done!

But like a hammer driving a nail home, the words echoed once more around Max's head. Words she hadn't heard in months. It wasn't over, not by a long shot. _Si vis pacem, para bellum._


	14. The Calm

The very first thing Chloe did the next day was go on their laptop and continue looking for a new RV. She'd been looking for a couple of weeks on and off, but with access to such a large amount of money her options had increased. Rachel on the other hand had gone out and bought a newer, shinier laptop, so she could continue looking at stock market and investment opportunities with Max. Looking for an RV would have been fun, but keeping track of Rachel's ideas seemed to be the smarter choice for the person who could rewind time. Max asked complicated questions and Rachel would answer them, even going into the details with a small notebook she'd started keeping.

"I picked one... I need you to agree." Chloe said, appearing in the bedroom doorway with the laptop on her arm.

"Show us." Rachel said, putting her own laptop on the bed out of the way. Chloe swaggered up to the bed and put the laptop down facing them.

"I want... that one." Chloe grinned. Max looked at the screen and wasn't entirely surprised by Chloe's selection. It was a monster of a motorhome with one bedroom, but a bed could be made out of the dining room seats for Rachel to have her own bed. It could store a widescreen TV in front of one of the windows as well, but it was extremely expensive, and it had a garage for a supercar, which would mean spending more money on a car.

"That is a lot of the money." Rachel said looking at the price tag.

"But it has a garage! We could get a car and not have to drive around in a fucking battlebus! Think how cool it would be!" Chloe argued with a smile. "Come on... we can do it!"

"Max?" Rachel asked. "Cast your vote."

Max looked between her two girls, weighing up the options. It was a lot of money, but money wasn't exactly a problem anymore. They wouldn't be stealing to buy it, they wouldn't ever be stealing again. "Make some phone calls." Chloe whooped and jumpedon Max, kissing her happily.

"Thank you!" She shouted again, rushing out into the living area of their RV, then returning to grab the laptop and rushing back out again.

"She really wants a battlebus." Rachel laughed. "She's going to need to get a license for it."

"I'm sure we can handle that." Max smirked. "But we get to choose the supercar." She winked. Rachel nodded her approval and returned to their own laptop.

Chloe spent half the day making phonecalls trying to get the motorhome she wanted, she had a determined look on her pretty features that stopped Max or Rachel from intruding on her conversations. She was driven, and nobody was going to stand in the way of her prize. Rachel's investment ideas were much slower and easier to follow, but she was being very cautious, something Max never thought the girl would be. She was normally prone to knee jerk decisions, but she was seeing another more methodical side to the girl. It was almost inspiring to see her working so hard.

Unfortunately it gave Max nothing to do. Her powers weren't really needed for either of the girl's goals, she'd spent the last couple of months taking it easy and reading books, but she hadn't really dedicated herself to a role. She hadn't taken any inspiring or thought provoking pictures in months, which was now a constant itch at the back of her mind. She'd cast aside her talent for too long, she needed to get back into it.

"I'm going for a walk." She said, turning and kissing Rachel's cheek without thinking about it. "I've got my phone, and my camera." She grinned, picking her old camera bag up off the floor.

"Don't go too far! When we're done on the internet we're going to be setting off." Rachel said absently, her mind on her job. Max gave Chloe a quick kiss on the lips as she passed and waved sadly before stepping out of their RV.

It was a nice sunny day without a cloud in sight, she could hear the bird song from the nearby trees and the rumbling of the highway somewhere nearby. If she didn't know people wanted her dead she could have relaxed in a place like this, lost in the hundreds of pictures she could take of the general items around the RV Park. It was actually nice to get out of the RV and explore a little more. A week in the same place and she'd rarely stepped out, she was always busy working on something or sleeping away the days.

While her powers were strong and still growing she found she only ever used them in large bursts, like the photo jumps or lots of rewinds in a short space of time. It came with consequences, she would always exhaust herself. She'd tried to rewind with Rachel again since their time in free space, but like before the blonde was anchored to the timeline. She needed to find a balance in her powers, to use them consistently without exhaustion, but that would take more time, more training, and more privacy, something they didn't have when staying in an RV Park. A motorhome was going to be great, they'd have a little more space, but Max wanted a real home, somewhere to put down roots and expand as they needed to. It was a dream she wouldn't get to realise as long as those people were still after them.

She stopped in her tracks when she spotted a car parked close by. It wasn't the car that had pulled her attention though, it was the man sitting behind the wheel. She recognised him, but she couldn't remember where from. Carefully she began approaching the vehicle, trying to stay out of his line of sight. It was as she passed an RV she realised he could see their own RV without obstruction, but he was carefully concealed from them.

She didn't want to get into an altercation in broad daylight so quickly returned to their RV, a tight grip on her camera bag.

"That was quick." Chloe said, looking up from her laptop.

"We need to leave, now." Max said, dropping her bag on the table and rushing into the bedroom. "Rach, finish up, we have to go."

"Why?" Both girls asked, Chloe had followed Max into the bedroom.

"We're being watched, there's a guy outside, I should know him but I just can't fucking place where from." She said, pacing the small area at the foot of the bed.

"Are you sure?" Rachel asked, already closing her laptop.

"Positive. We need to go."

"Time Traveler says go." Chloe said, rushing to pull on her boots so she could prepare the RV to leave the park.

"We go." Rachel agreed, pulling on her own shoes and following after Chloe.

They would prepare the RV while Max stowed away any breakables, like the new laptops or plates. She also started the engine as soon as Chloe banged on the side of their RV. Rachel entered first and double checked Max's work, then Chloe jumped in folding away her wallet and took over Max's place in the drivers seat.

"We always knew it was only a matter of time." Max said, sitting in the passenger seat on Rachel's lap, who wrapped an arm around the brunette to stop her falling.

"Lucky I just closed the deal on a new motorhome then." Chloe grinned. "But... we have to go to LA to get it."

"At least I get to visit LA." Rachel smiled.

* * *

 

"I'm sorry to report that we have lost track of the Supernatural and her friends." Sean said quietly into the microphone. This was not going to go well.

"You said you had foolproof means of at least staying on their tail. What happened?" The Italian asked sharply.

"Our asset in the field was made. He was forced to abandon his tail or risk possible harm to the girls. We have detected no further use of the Supernatural's powers." Sean answered, tapping his fingers lightly on his desk.

"How were you detecting her power usage?" The British woman asked.

"I'd prefer not to say." Sean answered, but he knew it was a pointless attempt to block the Council. He would have to reveal his information after this blunder.

"Prescott. How were you detecting the use of her powers?" The synthetic voice asked, silencing all other members of the council who had started to speak.

"They would use ATMs to get access to money. We received reports of anomalies in machines and they would lead us to the Caulfield girl, though we could never get ahead of them in such a manner until we had stable data as to their heading. But... ever since we lost our tail, there have been no further anomalous reports."

"Do they even have access to cash?" The man with the southern twang asked.

"We don't know." Sean answered.

"Could the Caulfield girl have used her powers to duplicate money?" The Frenchman asked.

"We don't know." Sean said again.

"What do you know?" A new voice said, another female. He was tired of hearing new voices on the secure line.

"They were last seen heading west. We're struggling to get a definitive location of their RV."

"Are you using our resources in the police departments?" The British woman asked.

"No. Overt actions were suspended pending further inquiries into this matter." The Synthetic voice said. "Police action is limited, we do not want a trigger happpy American Cop killing a potential asset."

"Yes, Chairman." The council all said.

"Consider the girls gone, for now. Begin Blackwell Operations in September and open the lab in Portland. Activities on the East Coast will remain active. Recruitment will remain active."

"Yes, Chairman."

The secure connections all closed across Prescott's computer screen, except for one. He looked at it curiously for a moment, expecting the person to eventually leave. They didn't, and he was surprised to hear the synthetic voice. "Mr Prescott, send Becker after the Gearhardt woman. We're going to need leverage."

"She's still alive?" He asked curiously.

"Mr Amber was quite helpful before his unfortunate suicide."

"Of course, I shall see to it at once Chairman."

* * *

 

Despite the resounding success of their causal loop, Max couldn't help but feel empty. They had all the money they would ever need, as long as they were responsible, and Rachel was working on trying to get them more but it felt hollow to Max. They were running away from the problem, abandoning innocent teenagers to the machinations of some secret cabal who definitely didn't have their best interests at heart. She knew how much it meant to Chloe and Rachel to just escape the problem than facing it head on, but after the storm and everything since, Max couldn't accept it as being the best option anymore. Her wounds were healed, she could take Chloe through time with her, they could go on the offensive and make sure they were safe as well as the innocent lives.

Unfortunately she didn't know how to raise this idea with either of them. Rachel was becoming excited at the prospect of visiting LA and Max didn't want to burst her enthusiasm. She didn't know how Chloe felt though, her blunette girl seemed troubled ever since Max and Rachel's experience in the free space. They hadn't had the time to talk about it privately since, she'd had no way of allaying her fiancée's concerns. She had an idea and decided to ask.

"Hey Chloe." She said, sitting in the passenger seat.

"Hey Max, got bored of listening to Rachel?" Chloe smiled.

"Wanted your company for a bit." Max smirked, putting her feet up on the dashboard. "And I wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"How would you like to revisit Vegas on the way to LA? Maybe revisit our penthouse?"

"What about your connection to Rachel?" Chloe sounded sad, like it would get in their way.

"I have a solution to that." Max said with a grin. "I'll get her permission... but we'll have our intimate time and then, we'll rewind together. So we can have our memory, and Rachel won't suffer for it."

"But she'll still have to live through it once..." Chloe replied. "Will she even agree to that?"

"I'll ask her and explain. But it'll be a solution for now until we can control our connection." Max drummed her lap to the beat of the music on the radio.

"You've been saying that for months and neither of you have managed it."

"Well... at least we have a solution so you and I don't miss out on our private time." Max said, looking at Chloe hoping the girl would agree. "I miss our time together Chloe."

"I miss it too. Alright, ask her. Because I really... and I mean fucking really... need to rip your clothes off." Chloe smirked. Max knew exactly what she was thinking about.

"Alright." Max said, jumping up and kissing her on the side of the head. "We'll make it a good night." She whispered into Chloe's ear.

"We better." Chloe said, glancing at Max with a seductive glint in her blue eyes.

"Get us there safely." Max said, leaving the girl to the driving so she could talk to Rachel.

The blonde was in the bedroom strumming the guitar absently. Max leaned on the doorframe as Rachel played a rather sad tune, it spoke to Max of loss and loneliness, which mirrored the emotions the girl was giving off at that moment. She walked into the room, walked up onto the bed and dropped down behind Rachel, wrapping her arms around her neck and kissing the side of her head.

"Hey." She smiled, keeping her grip around her friend.

"Hey. I thought you were spending time up front?" Rachel said, placing a hand on one of Max's arms, her tune ending.

"I was, until I had an idea."

"Okay?"

"I need your permission... to rewind you." Max said cautiously.

"Why do you need my permission?" Rachel asked, lowering the guitar onto the bed carefully.

"It's one of the rules Chloe and I made. No rewinding her without permission, we have to be able to fight and feel. So she also knows I'm not saying something to get my own way. But... I can rewind if it's for a very good reason." Max released the blonde and sat back on the bed.

"Good rule." Rachel said, turning around to face Max.

"Well it extends to you too. It wouldn't be fair otherwise."

"So why do you need to rewind me?" Rachel took hold of one of Max's hands and gently traced the lines on her palm.

"Chloe and I... we'd like some intimate time in Vegas. If we rewind together afterwards, you won't have the memory of my feelings." Max said tentatively. "But Chloe and I would have the memory of our time together."

"I noticed you two hadn't been... enjoying yourselves together." Rachel commented. "But I'd have to feel those emotions the first time, right?"

"Yeah... which is why I wanted to ask if it was okay. You'd still have to go through it but... you wouldn't have to keep it." Max said, hoping she would agree.

"You really need this, don't you?" Rachel said, looking into Max's eyes.

"I..." Max was about to lie, she stopped herself. "Yes. I need it." She blushed.

"Then you have my permission. I'm not about to stop you both being a couple." Rachel smiled weakly.

"But something's bothering you." Max could tell, something was on her friend's mind.

"It's nothing." Rachel released Max's hand and tried to turn away, but Max placed a hand on her shoulder and stopped her.

"It's something." She said, using her other hand to gently turn Rachel's face so they could look into each other's eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I was... just... thinking about when Chloe first visited my house." Rachel said quietly. "When I found out about my real Mom. Chloe was with me then, holding my hand and just... being awesome." Max smiled, trying to imagine just how Chloe had been feeling in that situation. "She... McGyver'd my night light, turned it into an amazing star display on my bedroom ceiling." Rachel let out a gentle laugh. "I really needed her that night, and there she was."

Max placed both of her hands in her lap, but Rachel quickly took her right hand and began tracing the lines on her palm again. Max couldn't understand why, but somehow it felt soothing for them both. "Chloe has a way of... getting under your skin. In a great way." Max said quietly.

"Yeah. She does." Rachel sighed. "I keep... I keep wishing I could change it, so we could actually hook up properly." She admitted, a guilty look in her eyes. "But I know what that would do to you, and then I wish I didn't think that way."

Max wiped a tear from Rachel's cheek. "I understand why you do though. You both admitted how much you loved each other. You've told me how close you got."

"We did once... once... but I don't think Chloe remembers." Rachel said, shaking her hair out of her eyes as she admitted her secret. "We were both really drunk. But... I can remember the shit I get up to. Chloe? Not so much." She laughed. "But she was all over me and... I didn't tell her to stop. I wanted it as much as she did."

"Oh." Max said uncomfortably.

"I'm not... saying to... shit. I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine." Max said, stroking Rachel's cheek. "Get it off your chest."

"I only remembered in the morning when we woke up, I thought it had been a dream at first but... having Chloe with her blue hair next to me just... confirmed everything." Max once again wiped the tears from Rachel's cheeks. "I... never told her. Just like I never told her about Frank, or Jeffershit. It was the first thing I started lying about, and it just got worse."

"But she's forgiven you for lying about them. She's not holding it against you anymore. That was months ago." Max said, trying to reassure her.

"When you two start kissing and getting close, and your emotions light up how I feel about her... I feel lonely. I'm the third wheel, traveling with the girl I love and her fiancée. How sad is that?"

"Would you rather... leave?" Max asked sadly. The thought of parting ways with Rachel had never before crossed her mind.

"The sad thing is... I don't want to leave. I want to stay with you both, and I fucking love our connection, and I love spending time with you and being stupid and crazy and... now we can be more crazy." Rachel smiled a bit more, the memories of their card games at night were on Max's mind. "But there are times like now where... I feel lonely. I don't have anybody to be intimate with and after all the fucking bullshit with Jeffershit and Frank... fuck no I can't think of being with anybody else right now."

Max didn't have an answer for her, she didn't even know what to say. She'd never felt that way before, her sexual experiences before Chloe were non-existent. She never even liked kissing guys, never thought about kissing a girl. _We're so different in so many ways._ She thought. _If I'd never kissed Chloe in her bedroom, would we even be together now? Would Rachel get to be with Chloe instead?_

"Don't even think about changing time Max." Rachel said, her eyes locked on Max's. It was almost as if she could read her thoughts, but that wasn't part of their connection.

"I wasn't." Max lied. "Okay, I was just wondering if I'd done something differently how it would be now."

"You can't live in the past Max, you can't keep changing shit just because of a little bit of pain. Not if it's going to cause you a massive amount of pain instead." Rachel said sternly. "I know how you feel about planting that idea, but you know how important it is as well."

"I know." Max nodded, looking down at her lap. "I don't like... feeling your hurt like this. I want to make it go away, but I don't know how."

"You're sweet Max." Rachel smiled, placing a hand on Max's cheek and getting her to look at her again. "But I'm just going to have to get over it. It's part of life right?"

Rachel withdrew the touch and looked at Max, a feeling of comfort passing between them and easing the tension they'd been feeling. It was starting to feel normal, natural that they could soothe each other in such a way. They remained relaxed in each other's company for some time, lying back on the bed and listening to the hum of the RV's engine, Chloe's singing along to the radio or Rachel's gentle humming.

"You know... I used to have to take drugs to feel this way." Rachel admitted quietly. "Now... I can reach it with you."

Max rolled onto her side and watched as the light caught the blonde's stunning features. "I'm not really into drugs. I was surprised when Chloe stopped smoking for the first time."

"Oh I remember that!" Rachel laughed.

"You got to see my reaction?" Max asked.

"Yeah! It was one of the first times I got to see you both. Chloe had stopped smoking cigarettes and was in a real bitchy mood."

"Yeah, so I told her to nibble on cookies instead." Max laughed, remembering the look on Chloe's face.

"Which she did. And then you got grumpy 'cause you ran out." Rachel rolled onto her side and smiled at Max. "You have a cookie addiction."

"I do not!" Max said, pushing Rachel's shoulder playfully.

"You do, I've seen you sneaking them when it's your turn to cook." Rachel smirked. "I have to keep buying more because you eat so many."

"Am I putting on weight?" Max asked, looking down at her flat stomach.

"Fuck no. You're still as thin as a fucking rake. I'm surprised Chloe isn't jumping you more often."

"She tries." Max smirked. "I have to say no for your sake."

"And for that I thank you." Rachel laughed. "When we get to Vegas can we go shopping for new clothes?"

"Sure. And I'd like to buy Chloe another present."

"Another ring?"

"I'm the one who needs a ring!" Max said, showing Rachel her ring finger. "I always thought I'd get the ring."

"I'll drop some hints for you." Rachel winked. "What do you want to get her?"

"I was thinking... something else for her to take off me." Max smirked. "Last time was my beige dress..."

"And before that was your sexy lingerie."

"You saw that too?" Max said, blushing at the thought of Rachel seeing her in the lingerie.

Rachel laughed. "I didn't get much choice!"

"I guess not... but yeah, I want to dress up for her again. Give her another wonderful experience after all this shit."

"I can definitely help you with that... but are you sure you trust me helping you try things on?"

"I didn't need to try them on last time." Max said curiously.

"Yeah, but this time it's not going to be a one piece." Rachel bit her bottom lip and winked cheekily. "You're gonna do this right."

* * *

 

That night Rachel decided to drive through the night so they could reach Vegas sooner. She'd had a short nap after her conversation with Max so she wouldn't be too tired for the night shift. Max had no idea where she was getting the energy from, but it gave her some personal time with Chloe even if they weren't going to be really intimate. It was much needed time together.

"I've missed this." Chloe said, lying on her left with her head on Max's shoulder for once.

"So have I." Max admitted, admiring the tattoo on her arm. "We just don't get the same time together anymore."

"I'm sorry I've been so weird about the Rachel thing." Chloe rest her chin on Max's shoulder so she could look her in the eye. "It's really strange knowing you and Rach are feeling the same things."

"Believe me, we've felt the same way." Max laughed. "It's horrible knowing you're transmitting your feelings to somebody else, whether they want them or not."

"And I know I set off some feelings in you when we kiss." Chloe smirked, then moved up the bed so she could kiss Max sweetly.

"More than just some feelings, dork." Max kissed her again, almost losing herself in the physical touch.

"Any minute now one of our phones will start ringing and she'll be telling us to stop." Chloe bit her lip, taking another kiss from Max.

"Let's not poke the bear." Max said, gently touching her nose to Chloe's.

"Yeah, I don't want her setting fire to the RV, or crashing it." Chloe smirked. "So... what have you two been getting up to while I've been driving?"

"Talking, playing the guitar, more talking and... oh yeah... trying to close that connection." Max moved down the bed so she could snuggle into Chloe now, she wanted to hear her heartbeat more than anything.

"How's she doing since your... free space thing?" Chloe wrapped an arm over Max, her hand naturally going to her hip.

"Well I'm not getting nightmares anymore, and I don't think she is either." Max said, placing her hand on Chloe's stomach. "She seems calmer, more relaxed about things. But she's still kicking herself about you." Max looked up to Chloe, trying to gauge her reaction.

"About me?" Chloe asked, looking down at Max.

"She still regrets lying to you about so much." Max said sadly. "She doesn't know how to make amends."

"There's nothing she can do." Chloe said, looking at the ceiling of the RV. "Everybody lies."

"Except Time Max." Max smiled.

"Except Time Max." Chloe agreed with a small laugh. "Fuck, that's gone to your head now hasn't it?"

"I don't have an ego babe. I have you." Max said cheekily.

"I do sing your praises a lot... because you are hella fucking awesome." Chloe said, putting her other arm under her head and looked down at Max a little better.

"You make me awesome." Max said quietly, thinking back to how her powers activated. It made her think of Blackwell and all the students that would soon be under surveillance by the secret organisation and Sean Prescott.

"What's up?" Chloe asked, she'd noticed a change in Max's demeanor.

"Thinking about Blackwell." Max answered.

"There's nothing we can do." Chloe said sadly.

"Yes there is, we're just choosing to run away from it instead." Max turned her head so she could listen to Chloe's heartbeat, the life she had chosen to save.

"If you say we have to help, we'll help." Chloe said suddenly, causing Max to look back at her evidently surprised. "You're the time traveler babe, you're the one who makes the final decision. I promised to be with you forever and if that means walking back into that shit hole with you, sign me fucking up."

"But what about when I was shot?" Max asked.

"I was still scared I was going to lose you." Chloe answered. "I'd just watched you die, and I didn't want to see you die again."

"And now?"

"I'm still scared and will always fear losing you. I can't imagine my life without you again and I don't want to ever think about that. I'd just hope you'd listen to my advice... but in the end I'll never leave your side."

Max couldn't contain her emotions any longer, she hooked a leg over her fiancée and pulled herself up to straddle her, locking their lips together in a passionate kiss. She pinned Chloe's hands to the bed with one hand and pulled teasingly at the blue hair with the other, eliciting a slight gasp from Chloe as they kissed. Max had expected a text from Rachel as soon as her emotions had burned so brightly, but it seemed as though the blonde was accepting Max's need to spend a little time with her soulmate, even if they weren't going to be intimate tonight.

"What did I say?" Chloe asked as Max broke their kiss for a moment.

"All the right things." Max bit her bottom lip, looking into Chloe's eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too." Chloe smiled brightly. "And I really wish you'd tell me more often."

Max laughed and nodded. "I'll make sure I do."


	15. Max's Ring

When they finally reached Las Vegas a few days later, Rachel had quickly dragged Max and Chloe out of the RV to go shopping. They went from store to store, looking at clothes and jewelry but never buying anything. The blonde couldn't make up her mind over what to buy, while Max and Chloe weren't exactly the best helpers. They were spending most of their time holding hands and trying to pick clothes for one another. Max had successfully persauded her punk to buy a new black jacket instead of always wearing her dirty old one. When it came to picking clothes for Max though, she was far more self conscious than before because of her bullet injury.

"You are really difficult to buy for." Rachel argued as they walked through the lingerie store, having left Chloe near the front looking at jewelry.

"A scar isn't exactly sexy." Max argued. "So it kind of limits my options."

"I have a scar... what are you trying to say?" Rachel said, showing Max the underside of her left arm.

"That... I can't pull it off like you?"

"Oh shut up. Chloe isn't going to suddenly go off your body because you have scars." Rachel smiled, pulling the brunette down another aisle. "If you're really put off by them, why not get a couple of tattoos?" She continued, stopping by a white corset, taking one and holding it up to Max's frame.

"Of what? A butterfly and a doe?" Max laughed, admiring the item until Rachel shook her head and put it back on the rack.

"Why not a set of stars from your back, around your side, and to your front?" Rachel pulled her along the aisle once more.

"Sounds like a lot of work."

"But it would look hella awesome, and you'd hide your scars in the stars."

"Very funny." Max shook her head at Rachel's bad joke.

"Oh!" Rachel said, stopping dead in the middle of the aisle and looking at a black corset. "I think..."

"Oh fuck..." Max muttered as Rachel started looking for Max's size.

"You'll look amazing!" Rachel grinned.

"I... no... something easier?"

"No, this is it. She will fucking love it." Rachel said, holding it up to Max's chest.

"But..." Max started to argue.

"No buts. I'll even do your make up." Rachel winked. "We'll have fun!"

Max stared at the blonde for a moment, torn between going along with her plan and refusing the offer. It would be weird to be in lingerie with Rachel putting on her make up, but she really wanted to surprise Chloe and give her a good night. Rachel looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to give in. The blonde could feel her emotions, she knew which way Max was going to go before she opened her mouth.

"Good!" Rachel smiled brightly. "Now let's go buy these before Chloe sees it." She passed the lingerie items into Max's hands and pushed her towards the check out.

* * *

 

Chloe and Max both had bags on their arms as they returned to their RV, refusing to let the other see what they'd bought. Rachel kept laughing at the two of them trying to be secretive with one another. Max had already booked them a couple of rooms in one of the many hotels of Las Vegas, a penthouse suite for her and Chloe again. Rachel was more than happy to stay in one of the other rooms, preferring to stay close to her friends than staying in the RV alone for the night. It was a fair arrangement this way, and Rachel wouldn't have to walk back to the RV alone after helping Max with the make up. They were heading to the RV to pack some clothes for a couple of nights, as well as collecting their laptops.

Max spent a little longer packing her bag than Chloe or Rachel, deciding to hide her first one piece lingerie among her clothes as well in case the occasion called for it. Rachel opened the door after a while, causing Max to panic and hide her beige dress under the bed covers thinking it was Chloe.

"All set?" Rachel asked.

"Almost, come in and close the door." Max said, watching for any sign of Chloe as Rachel did as instructed.

"What's up?" Rachel whispered.

"I'm nervous." Max said, recovering the beige dress and putting it in her bag.

"It's just a date night." Rachel smiled, taking the brunette's hands in her own. "There's nothing to be nervous about."

"It's been a few months since we... you know." Max said awkwardly. "And that was when I was still..."

"Holy." Rachel tried not to laugh.

"Haha." Max said sarcastically, smiling at the blonde. "She's not really seen me naked since then, and the scars are just gross."

"I bet they're not."

"You haven't seen them either." Max said, feeling self-concious.

"Stop worrying." Rachel said, releasing her hands to help her finish packing. "Chloe is not going to turn you down because of your battle scars."

"I know." Max muttered, sitting on the end of the bed.

"You've surprised her before and she loved it." Rachel sat beside her.

"I'm not just trying to recapture the past?" Max asked timidly.

Rachel hugged her comfortingly. "No, of course not. You're trying to have a good night with somebody you love."

There was a soft knock on the door followed by it opening slowly. Rachel kicked Max's bag shut so Chloe wouldn't see the contents.

"Everything okay?" Chloe asked, crossing her arms and leaning on the doorframe.

"Yep." Rachel smiled. "Just making sure she had everything." She stood up and started zipping up Max's bag carefully, allowing Max to stand up and hug her partner gently.

"What's up Max?" Chloe said, wrapping her arms around the brunette.

"Old nerves." She admitted quietly. "It was so much easier last time." She laughed softly.

"We don't have to go out tonight if you don't want to. Could always kick back and relax here?" Chloe smiled gently, placing a hand to Max's cheek and stroking her cheek bone.

"No... I want to get out with you." Max smiled, feeling more confident in the arms of her lover.

"You just needed your girl." Rachel said, picking up the bag. "Let's go girls! Before somebody else changes their mind!" She laughed, pushing the two girls through the door way.

Max picked up Rachel's bag on her way through the RV and out into the warm afternoon. Chloe had pulled a black rucksack onto her back and hooked her beanie through the handle at the top. She stepped back to allow Max and Rachel out, then closed the RV door and locked it, double checking it was secure. Max took hold of Chloe's hand as they started their gentle paced walk back towards the Vegas strip where a penthouse suite awaited them.

* * *

 

When they checked in Chloe took Rachel's bag to Rachel's room. Chloe was banned from the penthouse by Rachel while they got Max ready. The blunette knew something was going on, but she seemed more than happy to go along with it for now. She even warned Rachel not to get any kinky ideas.

"She's my time traveler, you need to get your own." She had said teasingly before kissing Max and getting out of the elevator. "I'll see you soon." She grinned as the doors closed and took Max and Rachel up to the top floor.

Now Max was in the penthouse bathroom, looking at her body in the full length mirror. She was already wearing the black lace trimmed mesh panties, but what was drawing her eyes right now was her scar. It was prominent just below and to the left of her solar plexus. She had been extremely lucky when the bullet had entered her back and missed vital organs and bones, or her recovery could have taken a lot longer than it had. Cautiously she ran a finger up her back to the entry wound and grimaced as she felt the scar beneath her finger tip. It still sickened her, she had no idea how Chloe could find it even close to good looking. _I wasn't good looking to begin with. Cute is the best compliment I would receive, now what would people say if they saw my scars?_ She wondered, touching the scar on her front with the other hand.

"Come on Max! You have to get ready." Rachel said through the closed door.

"Just a second." Max said loudly. She frowned to herself slightly, wondering exactly how she was going to manage to put this thing on.

"Hey, Rach?" She called out.

"Yeah?"

"Um... I need a hand please?"

"Why? It's only hook and eye clasps, how are you struggling with that?" Rachel was laughing, annoying Max a little bit.

"Bras are ones thing, corsets are another!" She said with a small hiss.

"Alright, alright. Come out and I'll help."

"No, get your butt in here, the bathroom is big enough." Max said, unlocking the door and placing her arm across her chest to cover her modesty. Rachel tentatively stepped inside, her hands across her eyes making Max laugh. "It's safe to look." She said.

Rachel stopped covering her eyes and smiled. "So, what's the problem?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Never put one of these things on before, it was your idea, so you can show me how" Said Max with a smirk, poking her tongue out at her.

"Fine." Rachel laughed, taking the corset from over the edge of the bath. "Turn around…" Max did as she was told and turned around. She felt Rachel's hand on her bare side as the blonde hooked the corset around her chest, releasing her side so she could pull it tight across her small form.

"Hold it to you." Rachel said, Max once again did as she was told, holding the black satin corset to her chest.

She felt it tighten as Rachel began hooking the clasps, her fingers gently working their way up Max's back. When she was done Rachel gently ran her hands over Max's bare shoulders, the touch setting her nerves on edge like Chloe caused when she did that.

"There you go." Rachel said quietly, her breath on the back of Max's neck.

Max turned around and hugged her. "Thanks! Now the tricky bit is done, I can finish getting ready!"

"And then we have to do your makeup." Rachel smiled, releasing the brunette from their hug and getting out of the bathroom.

Max arched an eyebrow. "Makeup...?"

"Yes Makeup." Rachel said, leaning against the door frame. "We said we'd do your makeup too."

"That doesn't mean I have to be happy about it..." Max gumbled.

"You want to look your best for Chloe, right? That means makeup." Rachel grinned. "Don't worry, you're in good hands."

Max rolled her eyes, sighed dramatically and threw her arms up in the air. "Fine!" Then a small smirk appeared on her face. "Good hands, huh?"

"The best." Rachel winked. "Are you going to refuse me?"

"I suppose not, just don't poke me in the eye."

"Chloe never complained when I put makeup on her, you think she'd trust me if I did that?" Rachel laughed happily and disappeared into the suite for a moment.

Max breathed out quietly, a mixture of butterflies and slight confusion in her stomach. She took the bag that was on the floor and pulled out something she had picked up when Rachel had gone to stop Chloe from seeing what she'd purchased, neither of the girls knew about this extra item so that the surprise would not be ruined by accident. She took a good look before setting the bag back on the floor and placed the stockings on top of it so that they wouldn't get dirty or snagged on anything. She took the suspender belt and pulled it on over her legs until it reached her bony hips, letting the suspenders hang down. Admiring the intricate black lace weave detailing with the black ribbon in the middle. She picked up the stockings, looked at them for a moment and felt happy with her choice. The flower lace detail at the top, combined with the black lace frill were pleasing to the eye, she hoped Chloe would appreciate them as much as she did. Carefully she pulled them on and hooked them onto the suspenders. She admired herself once more in the full length mirror, turning to the side to try to get a look at her back.

"Holy shit." Rachel said suddenly. Max looked round at the blonde, who was standing in the doorway with her mouth hanging open.

"Too much?" Max asked.

"If you weren't taken… I'd jump you." Rachel smirked with a wink.

"Let's get this over with then." Max said, indicating the makeup bag in Rachel's hands.

* * *

 

Chloe paced the room anxiously. Last time it had been her birthday and Max had simply surprised her with the penthouse suite, she hadn't expected it and it had been the best night of her life, the best birthday ever. But she had butterflies in her stomach this time, she was dressing up to seduce her fiancée and spend an amazing night together, they normally just fell into bed and had a good time. Right now Rachel was up there helping Max, she couldn't help but feel a little jealous that Rachel had seen her girl in all her glorious splendour first, soon she would return and it would be Chloe's turn to ask for help.

She knew exactly what they were doing earlier in the lingerie shop and had done a little shopping of her own, trying to surprise Max for once, which was difficult enough with a time traveler. She'd brought along her blue pencil dress that she had worn on her birthday, she was going to conceal her own clothing beneath it, but she needed Rachel to help her pull it off. She hated doing this girly shit but she wanted to do something nice for her partner.

There was a gentle knock on the door. She pulled it open and stepped aside to allow her best friend to enter. Rachel smiled at her, a mischievous glint in her hazel eyes.

"She's ready when you are." Rachel said, sitting on her bed.

Chloe started pacing nervously again, she did quick, short breath out. "Okay..." she said, thrusting the bag at Rachel with what she had bought at the lingerie shop inside. "Tell me what you think..."

Rachel looked at Chloe curiously, then into the bag, and back to Chloe. "You're going to need to put it on." The blonde smirked. "For a proper opinion, of course."

"Ah for fucks sake!" She snatched the bag off Rachel and went into the bathroom.

She stripped out of her normal punkish clothes, discarding them casually across the floor without a care where they fell, including her underwear. She pulled the items out of the bag and struggled getting them on, almost falling over a couple of times because of the underwear.

A few minutes later she re-appeared in front of Rachel. "Happy now? Perv."

"Hella hot Price." Rachel said, looking Chloe up and down. She stood up and walked around Chloe once, untwisting a strap at the back. "Max is going to pass out when she sees you like this." The blonde smiled, sitting back down on the bed.

"I hope not." Chloe said, taking her blue pencil dress out of her travel bag and pulling it on over her underwear. "I need a small favour before I go up." She said, zipping up the dress.

"Name it." Rachel said, looking over Chloe with a seductive glint in her eye.

Chloe felt a tug on her insides, a feeling she hadn't felt in so long as she looked at the blonde in her flannel shirt and ripped jeans. She suppressed it, her partner was waiting for her upstairs.

"I want you to help me with…" Chloe scrunched her nose, she couldn't believe she was about to ask this.

"With…" Rachel grinned.

"Makeup." Chloe crossed her arms.

"That I can do." The girl laughed, once more getting off her bed and looking through her own things for some makeup. "You're really going all out for her, putting on a mask." Rachel teased.

"It's not a mask. I… just want to look my absolute best for her." Chloe said, sitting on the bed uncomfortably

"You could ditch the makeup and wear nothing at all, and she would still think you looked your absolute best." Rachel said, standing in front of Chloe with the makeup in her hand.

"Is that what your connection thing is telling you?" She asked, looking into her eyes.

"That… and I think you look brilliant as you are." Rachel smiled sadly. "So… do you want the makeup? Or do you think Max will love you as you are?"

"I think… I'm good. Forget the makeup." Chloe said, standing up, though Rachel didn't move and their faces ended up inches apart. She coughed awkwardly. "Thanks for your help Rach." She stepped back slightly and went over to the mirror to check out her look.

"No problem. But you better get moving, Max is waiting." Rachel said, putting the makeup back in her bag. She then handed Chloe the room key to the penthouse suite. "You're going to need this." She smirked.

* * *

 

Max had no idea what was taking Chloe so long, she had sat on the bed waiting patiently for her, feeling the flow of the emotional connection with Rachel as the time passed by. The blonde was a mixture of emotions, from the loneliness she felt to a strange arousal. There was also something else, an emotion she had been trying to hide and suppress, but Max had felt it too, it's what had elicited the response from Rachel's touch, the butterflies in her stomach. It had confused Max as much as it had confused Rachel, but the blonde seemed more open about it, more interested in teasing Max and seeing just what she could get away with.

The penthouse door clicked and started to open, Max got off the bed and stood in the archway between the bedroom and the living area, waiting to see Chloe come through the door. She was pleasantly surprised to see the punk wearing her blue pencil dress with her knee high boots once again. Chloe closed the door and turned to look at Max, stopping mid stride as her eyes took in the corset and stockings Max wore.

"You look amazing." Chloe said quietly, her eyes lingering on the lingerie.

"Not too much?" Max asked, holding her hands in front of her just like she used to do when bashful and nervous.

"Fuck no." Chloe smiled. Max started approaching the blunette.

Chloe shook her head. "I have a surprise for you now." She said, slowly unzipping the dress at the side and allowing it to fall away from her form.

Max couldn't stop herself, her mouth opened with surprise at how stunning Chloe looked. The punk was wearing a black satin bra with matching underwear, a slashing effect across the front of her chest to enhance her chest, with the same effect across her hips and thighs. Chloe had managed to keep her punkish looks even with her choice of lingerie, which impressed Max immensely. Chloe stepped out of the dress, still wearing her boots, slowly approaching Max. The blunette was biting her bottom lip, that was when Max noticed a small black box with a blue ribbon clutched tightly in her left hand.

"There's one more surprise." Chloe smiled, stopping in front of Max and gently placing the box in her hands.

Max wasted no time in untying the ribbon and opening the little black box. Words caught in her throat, a gasp escaped her lips instead and she looked between the ring and Chloe.

"Rachel is really bad at dropping hints." Chloe laughed. "But I didn't need them. As soon as I knew we were coming to Vegas I ordered the ring for you, I wanted you to have one as well."

Max turned the ring over in her hand, looking at the simple black band with a number of sapphires embedded in it. They were perfectly aligned, they would never snag or catch on anything. Then she saw the engraving. _Forever._ It was the only word she ever needed to hear from Chloe. The blunette took the ring from Max's fingers and gently slipped it onto her ring finger, a strange energy felt like it was connecting them at that point, a moment in time Max would be able to find like a shining beacon. She wrapped her arms around Chloe's neck, stepped onto her tiptoes and kissed her fiancée for the first time that night.

Despite Max's reservations about the night, her sad belief she was just trying to recapture Chloe's birthday, it turned out to be a far better night for her than she could care to admit. Every touch, every breath, carried a new weight, a new feeling of intensity. There was nothing rough about their connection, they moved together with perfection, the right amount of pressure, the perfect timing to their kisses. Max was lost in the depths of her love for Chloe, the girl who had changed her life, who had completed her heart.

Max lay on her back as the blunette kissed across her collarbone teasingly, every kiss sent a tingling sensation through Max's highly sensitive body. She kept her eyes shut tight as she enjoyed the touch of her fiancée. She placed her hands to the sides of Chloe's face and pulled her up to kiss her lips softly before looking into her blue eyes.

"I love you." She whispered breathessly.

"I love you too." Chloe smiled, kissing her again. The night could only get better.

* * *

 

Listening to Chloe's heartbeat was one of the most soothing things Max could do, it constantly reaffirmed her choice to save Chloe and sacrifice Arcadia. Without the punk she wouldn't be as happy as she was right now, the happiest she had been in years. Ever since they were kids there had been a connection, at first only friends, but now they were something more and it was the greatest feeling in the world. She kept admiring the ring on her finger, twisting it around with her thumb to feel it's smooth texture slide against her skin.

"You definitely like it then?" Chloe asked, running her fingertips up and down Max's bare side under the covers.

"You'll never get it off me." Max smiled, feeling Chloe's own ring against her skin every now and then.

"I wouldn't want to, it's yours, just like that necklace you won't take off."

Max laughed and nodded slightly. She would only take it off when she showered, and it was the first thing she put back on afterwards. "It... helps me feel closer to you." She admitted quietly. "As long as I'm wearing them, I feel you there."

"Is that how you felt after your Dark Room shit?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah." Max said, the memory no longer elicited the same emotions from her, ever since she'd come to terms with that time in her life thanks to Rachel. "I was determined to get you back, and the necklace made me feel stronger, more confident. They helped me work up the courage to come to you in LA."

"I'm so glad you did that." Chloe said quietly. "I was... at a loss. I had no idea what to do with myself. You saved me... again. Like you keep doing."

"Forever." Max smiled, staring at her ring. "I'm not letting you go."

"I just wish I could save you, just once, instead of having to rely on everybody else."

"You did save me." Max looked up into Chloe's eyes. "You gave me the confidence to save myself, and to save you. I couldn't have done those things without the gifts you'd given me."

"Bullshit." Chloe laughed. "You always had that in you."

"I just needed you to let it out." Max smirked, slowly sliding on top of Chloe to kiss her lips sweetly. "You know you're not just my partner in crime anymore?"

"Oh?" Chloe asked, her hands on Max's hips.

"You..." Max grinned. "Are my partner in time too." She activated her rewind and kissed her fiancée deeply.

Just as she thought, she could feel the moment the ring went on her finger approaching, a lighthouse in the sea of time. She knew exactly when to release the power and save Rachel from the most intimate feelings.

"How did you know when to end it?" Chloe asked as they broke their kiss.

"It'll sound strange." Max said, sliding back off her partner now that the rewind was complete and snuggled into her side once more.

"Try me... I did believe you about your powers after all."

"When you put the ring on my finger, it felt... amazing, like we connected in another way. It created a sort of... beacon in the timeline, I could feel it growing closer as I rewound."

"That sounds... incredible." Chloe smiled.

"What do you feel when we rewind together?" Max asked.

Chloe lay quietly for a moment, her fingers lightly stroking Max's back. "I can see the world rewinding around us, I can feel your touch and it feels... like a tingling in my limbs. It feels awesome." She smiled happily. "What about you?"

"Powerful." Max laughed.

"Don't let it go to your head or anything."

"But really? It feels so much easier than back in Arcadia. I feel like... when we rewind together, I'm connected to you, like we're more together than when we're..."

"Having an awesome time?" Chloe grinned, rolling the ring on her finger over Max's side.

"A hella awesome time." Max corrected her.

"Only hella awesome? I must be doing something wrong." Chloe whispered teasingly, turning slightly towards Max, her free hand going to the brunette's hip.

"We have two nights..." Max said, grinning as she slowly moved her own hand down Chloe's stomach. "And we don't have to worry..." Chloe gasped quietly as Max teased her. "Time for round two?"

"Fuck yes." Chloe moaned.

* * *

 

A night of passion and rewinding eventually took its toll on Max's fortitude, after her last rewind to save Rachel's feelings she was already drifting off in Chloe's arms. The blunette wasn't much better, her breathing was getting deeper as she slipped into her own blissful sleep, leaving Max alone for a short time as she refused to fall asleep yet. She could feel Rachel's emotions in their connection, shifting silently between jealousy, arousal, shame and doubt. Max tried to focus on sending her a comforting feeling, trying to soothe the emotions of the girl she couldn't see or touch. Max felt a return emotion just as she fell asleep, never knowing how Rachel felt at her calming attempts.

The next morning Max woke up to Chloe's phone ringing and gently leaned over her sleeping lover to answer it.

"Hello?" She said groggily.

"Max, it's Rach. Can I come up? Or do you two want a day to yourselves?"

"We're... not dressed." Max answered, looking at Chloe's body beneath her own.

"Well Chloe won't be dressed until I bring up her bag." Rachel laughed. "She forgot it in her hurry to get to you."

"Then come on up." Max said.

"Okay, see you soon." Rachel replied, hanging up the phone.

Max put Chloe's phone back on the side and rolled back off her sleeping girl, preparing to get out of bed when Chloe's arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her backwards into a tight embrace.

"Morning." Chloe whispered, kissing the back of Max's neck.

"Morning." Max smiled, taking hold of Chloe's hand.

"Who was that?"

"Rach, she's on her way up. So I need to get dressed." Max said sadly, rolling over to kiss Chloe.

"That's a shame, I was hoping to keep you all morning."

"You could have, if you'd remembered your bag." Max laughed, nuzzling Chloe's nose.

There was a sharp knock on their door that broke their moment. Max quickly got out of bed, rummaged through her bag for underwear and a shirt and hopped into the living area as she pulled on the underwear. She'd just got her shirt on when the person knocked again. Max looked through the peephole to confirm it was Rachel, then opened the door.

"Took you long enough." Rachel laughed, handing over Chloe's travel bag.

"I was getting dressed." Max smiled, taking the bag through to Chloe before returning to the living area where Rachel had made herself comfortable on one of the two couches.

"Not dressing more than that?" Rachel grinned, looking at Max's bare legs and tight shirt.

"You saw more last night." Chloe said, coming out of the bedroom in just her own underwear and shirt.

"What she said." Max laughed, sitting on the second couch.

"But you have a guest!" Rachel said, acting shocked.

"We live together you dork." Chloe went into the bar area and filled a glass of water.

"Oh yeah." Rachel grinned. "Did you two have a good night?" The blonde asked, wiggling her eyebrows playfully.

"So the rewinds worked? You don't remember?" Max asked, surprised when Chloe passed her a glass of water. "Thanks babe." She said quietly.

"Yeah your rewinds worked, the most I felt was... a bit of arousal." Max blushed. "And a lot of love, but I'm used to that." The blonde said happily.

"That's fucking awesome." Chloe said, handing Rachel a glass of water before sitting beside Max with her own.

"It was a good idea." Rachel smiled before taking a sip of water.

"One of my best!" Max giggled. "Oh... and..." Max showed Rachel the ring on her finger.

"Oh that is fucking beautiful!" Rachel shouted, putting down her glass and patting the couch beside her. "Come here, let me see!"

Max put down her own glass, got out of her comfortable seat and sat beside the blonde and faced her. Rachel quickly took hold of her hand and admired the sapphires in the black band. She seemed reluctant to touch it, but kept admiring the way the light struck the gems.

"Chloe... you have an eye for beauty." Rachel said. "You've got the cutest girl in the world, and you put the most beautiful ring on her finger." Max couldn't help but blush again, she wasn't used to being paid so many compliments.

"She is a stunner." Chloe nodded, her eyes on Max with a smile on her face. "And so cute when she blushes."

"Alright, enough compliments." Max said with a small laugh.

"Oh no, I think we need to compliment you more." Rachel grinned. "You have pretty blue eyes, that match the beauty of these sapphires."

"Stop..." Max laughed and blushed, trying to pull her hand out of Rachel's.

"Sweet, soft lips that I love to kiss." Chloe joined in, trying to make Max blush more.

"Are they soft and sweet? I wouldn't know." Rachel smirked. "I can definitely say she has soft hands."

"Oh fuck off you two." Max couldn't help but feel bashful but happy with all the compliments she was receiving, and Rachel's joyfulness wasn't helping matters. Her emotions were almost radiant, encompassing. Max could feel herself slipping into the feeling she'd felt the night before, amped up by Rachel's teasing and touch.

"She's getting all bashful..." Rachel smirked. Chloe put down her glass and switched couches, sitting behind Max and wrapping her arms around her stomach, her chin on the brunette's shoulder. "Oh!" Rachel exclaimed. "And a little turned on too."

"Do you have to tell Chloe exactly how I'm feeling?" Max asked.

"Yes she does." Chloe answered, kissing Max's neck. "I like to know what works."

"That definitely works." Rachel bit her lip, she was feeling just what Max was feeling.

"Please... stop..." Max said quietly, trying not to get lost in the wonderful feelings.

Chloe stopped and grinned. "Okay... but only because you'd only have to rewind it all away and Rach would be confused."

A mischievous glint was in Rachel's hazel eyes, fixed on Max's exposed neck as the blunette moved away. Max couldn't take her eyes off Rachel, curious to see what the blonde would do with all of those pent up emotions, locked away because they had to be. She could feel them under the surface, teasing Rachel, teasing Max. It was such an unsettling feeling, it made her wonder just who was feeling what at that time.

Rachel released Max's hands and smiled sadly, but Max knew why. She pulled the blonde into a tight hug and kissed her cheek.

"You two okay?" Chloe asked curiously.

"Emotional." Rachel muttered, her own arms wrapped around Max.

"Better lay off the heavy shit then." Chloe smiled, gently wrapping an arm around Max as the brunette moved away from Rachel.

"Yeah." Max agreed sadly. She had to find a way to control this connection, or it was going to lead to some rather emotional mistakes.

* * *

 

"Becker." Prescott said, answering his phone. He sat down in his office chair in his study, the computer was on stand by as he was just about to go to bed.

"We have a lead. The girls are in Vegas." Becker said, the sound of traffic in the background.

"Can you get there before we lose them?" Sean asked.

"No, I'm not even close. I'm tracking the Gearhardt woman." Becker responded. "But we have a team that can respond. Would you like me to send them recommended engagement data?"

"Yes, do that." Sean answered.

"Capture or kill on the Caulfield girl?"

"Kill. She's too difficult. Price and Gearhardt will be enough to encourage Amber's cooperation." Sean answered calmly.

"Sir, please confirm that for me. You said kill?"

"That is correct Becker. Eliminate her."

"Copy that."


	16. Escalation

Chloe kicked and screamed as the men tried to pull her away from Max's prone form, she couldn't believe it was happening again. Rachel was kicking and screaming just as loudly, thrashing in her attempts to break away from the taller, stronger men. Chloe tried again to break away, scraping her boot against one of the men's shins forcing him to yell. His grip loosened, she took advantage of it, striking him as hard across the face as possible. The other man tried to compensate but Chloe kicked him in the groin. He fell with her to the floor, right next to Max.

The blood around Max's head scared her, it reminded her of that moment in Prescott's hotel and she could not lose her girl again. She tried to crawl towards her, kicking the man off her legs as she went. A hand pinned her shoulder to the ground, she could feel the press of cold metal on the back of her head.

"Don't fucking move." The man said.

"No! We need her alive!" Another shouted, Rachel gave a shout and the man yelled in pain.

Chloe looked up to see the blonde rushing towards her, evading the men as they reached out to grab her. With a bang Rachel collided with the man who had pressed the gun to Chloe's head, knocking him away and giving the girl a chance to reach Max. She rolled Max onto her back, the panic leaving her chest as she could feel the rise and fall of Max's breathing. She had a nasty scrape across the side of her head, the bullet had barely missed her.

"Max! Wake up! We need you!" Chloe yelled, gently shaking her soulmate.

"Chloe! Look out!" Rachel yelled, but too late. Chloe felt the strike of a rifle butt across the side of her face and fell onto Max, her hand falling to rest on the ring she had given her. Their beacon in the timeline.

* * *

 

Chloe woke with a start and sat up just as fast. The sweat on her skin made the covers stick to her chest. The nightmare had been so vivid, so real, yet it couldn't have been. Max was the one with the premonitions and powers. Yet she could swear it had been real, she could still feel Max's blood on her hands, the sound of the gunshot. She looked to the sleeping girl beside her, oblivious to Chloe's feelings of anxiety and fear. _Thank fuck you're okay._ She thought, reaching over to stroke the blue highlight out of her face.

Max looked so peaceful, unlike the nights after she'd been brought back from the dead by Rachel. Back then Max had tossed and turned, scrunching up her face, grasping at the covers or kicking out unconsciously. Neither Chloe nor Rachel had ever told Max she was doing it, they hadn't wanted to worry her further. Instead they had worked out a system between them. One would watch over Max, the other would sleep, then they'd switch.

She had noticed just how much Rachel had started to care about Max, it was quite obvious really. The blonde would give Chloe an extra hour to sleep, even fall asleep with Max herself and endure the nightmares Max was having. Chloe thought it had something to do with their emotional tether, that Rachel was trying to soothe Max with calming emotions, but when she'd walked into the bedroom to find Rachel gently embracing Max she had realised there was something far more under the surface for the both of them. It had only been confirmed when she saw the longing in Rachel's eyes yesterday, a look in her eyes she hadn't managed to hide behind one of her masks quickly enough. Just as Chloe had kissed Max's neck, Rachel had wanted to do the same thing, she didn't need to be connected to her best friend to know how she was feeling.

Quietly she got out of bed and grabbed her phone of the side, it was one in the morning, but she opened the contacts and called Rachel.

"Chloe... what's up?" Rachel answer quietly.

"We need to talk." Chloe said, getting dressed in the near darkness.

"Okay, want to come down?" Rachel asked, sounding more awake.

"Yeah, see you soon." Chloe hung up the phone and pulled on her boots.

She took the room key with her to avoid potentially waking up Max when she returned and carefully left their penthouse suite, going down the elevator until she reached Rachel's floor. She became nervous the closer she got, painfully aware of how she once felt for the blonde. It was a pain she felt whenever the two of them were alone, afraid she would break Max's heart. She knocked on the door and waited, until Rachel opened the door and stepped back to ler her in.

"What's up?" Rachel asked, closing the door behind Chloe and returning to her bed.

"I need to ask something." Chloe said, pacing the floor. She couldn't believe she was about to ask this.

"Shoot." The blonde lay back in bed, showing off the dragon tattoo on her right calf.

"Is there something between you and Max?" Chloe asked quickly.

"Besides the emotional connection shit?" Rachel asked in return, annoying Chloe.

"Yes, beside that. I saw the way you were looking at her yesterday and I just can't get that look out of my head."

"What look?" Rachel pat the bed, trying to tempt Chloe to sit down. She did so, reluctantly.

"The one you used to get... when you looked at me." She looked the blonde in the eyes, trying to gauge her reaction. "The one before we'd kiss."

"Oh... I didn't... realise." Rachel muttered, crossing her legs and looking at the bed sadly.

"What is going on with you two Rach?" Chloe demanded.

"Nothing at all Chloe!" Rachel said, looking her in the eyes. "We've never done anything, never. It's just..."

"Just what?"

"It's hard to explain." The blonde said evasively.

"Then fucking try... please. I... I need to know." Chloe pleaded.

"If you're worried Max would leave you... I can tell you right fucking now that's never going to happen. She would rewind the fuck out of time to keep you."

"How are you so sure?"

Rachel gave her a look of annoyance and shook her head before responding. "Chloe... I feel what she fucking feels, I know just how much she loves you, how much she cares about you. I know all the guilt she carries with her because she didn't talk to you for five years. She will destroy the fucking timeline if it meant not losing you again. You really think she'd ask you to marry her if she wasn't so fucking in love with you?"

"That was before..."

"Before you found out I was alive." Rachel finished. "But that didn't stop you buying her a ring, and she accepted that without a second thought."

"Then explain that look." Chloe argued, crossing her arms defiantly.

"You know how you feel when you're turned on, when you want something so much?"

"Yes."

"Double it, and then you can't ever have it." Rachel said. "You were turning Max on, which turned me on, and she felt that." Rachel changed positions, pulling her knees up to her chin. "The difference for me? I can never have either of you."

"You... love her?" She asked, surprised.

"I don't fucking understand it, I thought it was because of you but... being connected with somebody like that..." Rachel sighed sadly. "She's left her mark on me, I feel happy when she's happy, and that's because of that fucking connection. I have no idea how I'd feel otherwise! But if you want your answer... yes, I love Max too."

"Too?"

"Well I never stopped loving you! And since the coma I've had that feeling multiplied. Max feels it, so I feel it. I think about it, and Max starts feeling it."

"This is... so fucked up." Chloe said, putting her head in her hands, trying to understand everything.

"Chloe... you need to know..."

"Know what?"

"Max... almost left us a few months ago. She... found a new power, a darker side to her abilities. It scared her, and she didn't want to keep putting you through pain. She wanted us both to have a happier life." Rachel said quietly.

"She... what?" Chloe said. "She almost left?"

"I stopped her in time, I told her not to tell you. I couldn't bear to see your heart get broken, but she didn't know what else to do, she was sickened by herself."

"Why? What did she do?" Chloe demanded. Max had lied to her too, she wasn't exempt after all.

"She could... plant an idea in somebody's mind. She... had to do it to me at some point, she had to make me doubt our relationship." Rachel explained sadly.

"Why the fuck would she do that?"

"If she doesn't... we get out of Arcadia Bay together. But she'll die."

Chloe felt the tears in her eyes at this news, she didn't want to believe it. "She'll die?"

"She tried every idea she could think of to give you a life with me, to make our lives better without her, and everytime she would die. It sickened her Chloe, she hates anything that hurts you or I. But she stayed because she loves you, because she can't be parted from you."

Chloe didn't know what to say, to think that her fiancée was actually willing to die so she could be happy. _But I am happy. I'm happy with you Max, you fucking idiot.  
_

"She only ever thinks about you." Rachel smiled sadly. "She would probably only ever give you up if it made you happier."

"I'll never leave her." Chloe said quietly. "After everything we went through, without seeing her for five years, I can't give her up either Rach."

"It's why I... love her too. I know what she would go through for the person she loves." Rachel gently placed her hand on Chloe's cheek. "You should go back upstairs, wake her up, and rock her world again." The blonde laughed.

"Even though she tried to leave me again?"

"Because she stayed, even though she feels so guilty. Because she isn't running from her mistakes." Rachel answered. "Chloe... I told you so you would realise just how far that girl would go for you, how much pain she would endure just to be by your side. I... saw what she went through in the Dark Room. She will walk through hell itself to be with you Chloe. So don't fucking leave her now."

Chloe left Rachel's room slightly confused, at odds with herself. On the one hand she wanted to walk into the penthouse suite and rip into Max for trying to leave her, but on the other she wanted to show her just how much she loved her. She wanted to absolve Max of her guilt so she'd stop carrying it around. She still hadn't made up her mind when she opened the door and stepped inside, her mind arguing over what to do. Then she saw the brunette lying in bed, the ring on her finger and the bullets around her neck. As quietly as possible she removed her boots and stripped off her clothes, then slid soundlessly into the bed beside the girl she loved.

Starting at Max's collarbone she slowly started to kiss down her chest, every kiss weighted to perfection with meaning. Max started to stir, her hands going to Chloe's shoulders as the blunette moved slowly down her body.

"Chloe?" She mumbled, slightly confused as to what was going on.

Chloe stopped her kisses and whispered softly. "Freeze time, and see how long you can hold it."

"Okay?" Max replied curiously.

She felt the strange sensation as Max stopped time around them, but slowly continued her course down the brunette's body until she gasped loudly. The freeze time held, but Chloe wanted to really test how well Max could maintain it.

* * *

 

"I am fucking exhausted. But that... was... amazing." Max said, nuzzling Chloe's side. The nerves in her body felt ready to burst, but she'd never experienced anything quite like that before. Chloe was incredible, but trying to hold the freeze at the same time had heightened her senses, adding to the experience.

"Good." Chloe smirked, kissing her forehead. "Because I need to tell you something."

"Hm?" Max asked, placing her hand on Chloe's stomach and looking up at her.

"I love you Max, and when I tell you I will be with you forever I mean it with everything I am. Through all the shit we go through, all the pain and tears, I won't leave you."

Max smiled happily. "I love you too Chloe. I will never leave you again, I'll do everything within my power to stay with you."

"Promise?" Chloe asked.

"I promise." Max answered.

A happy smile appeared on Chloe's features. "I'll hold you to that."

Max laughed. "Make sure you do, because... I'll never forgive myself if I fuck this up."

"Neither will I." Chloe whispered into Max's ear, then gently kissing it. "I know you struggled a couple of months ago." She said softly.

"Fuck... Chloe I'm..."

"Going to shut up and listen." Chloe said, silencing Max with a look. "I understand why, and I'm really fucking glad you didn't leave me again."

"Chloe..."

"Shut up." She repeated. "I expect you to talk to me in the future, fucking tell me what's going through your head. I can't help you if I don't know."

"Chloe..."

This time the blunette kissed Max into silence instead. "I may not have time powers to break the timeline to save you, but I will kick ass to save you."

"Chloe..." Chloe moved in to kiss Max again but she placed her finger to her lips. "I am never going anywhere again. I am never going to leave you. You don't have to give me a speech." She laughed.

"It made me feel better." Chloe smirked, pulling Max's hand away from her lips and kissing Max again. She gave in to the intimate moment, there was no reason to resist her punk further.

* * *

 

"Tick tock, tick tock." Rachel said annoyingly, breaking Max away from the memory before her.

"You know... sometimes I wish I could use my powers without having to come back here." Max said, swiping her hand and replacing the memory with another.

"You don't always come back here... only when you do something really exhausting." Rachel whispered. "Like Chloe fucking you in a freeze time."

Max couldn't help but blush as the memory appeared before her. She swiped it away quickly. "I really wish you didn't know everything."

"Riddle me this... Time Knight." Rachel smirked. "Why have you not closed your connection with Rachel yet?"

"I don't know how." Max answered sharply.

"That's not really it." Rachel walked around Max, gently running a finger across her shoulders. "Try again."

"I don't... want to." She admitted quietly, an image of Rachel and Chloe appearing before her, a memory from the previous day where they were all laughing and having fun.

"And neither does she." Rachel said, walking in front of Max and stroking her cheek softly. "Which means..."

"The connection will stay open."

"Bingo." Rachel said, stopping in front of Max and taking her hands.

"I..." Max swallowed. "I can't explain it."

"And I can't explain it for you." Rachel responded.

Max looked up at the sky, only now taking in the red network of what she was starting to see as scarring on the black skyline. Only it had obtained new hints of blue within the web, turning it purple where it met. Beyond that she could see the stars in the sky, the milky way staring down at her from above.

"Well that's changed." She muttered. She liked the change though, it was better than the constant black of chaos.

"New connections mingling with the old." Rachel said, releasing Max's hands and walking back around her out of her sight. "It's... fascinating."

"The blue is Chloe." Max smiled. "And the purple. Rachel is the red."

"Correct on all three. You're getting good."

"The stars... they're Chloe. Her beauty shining down on me."

Rachel laughed and nodded happily. "Spot on."

"I wish Chloe could see this..." Max said, looking back to the memory before her and smiling at the one she had summoned up. Chloe was so pretty, so confident.

"Maybe if you do more time travel things with her, instead of fucking all the time, you could bring her here." Rachel wrapped her arms around Max's neck and kissed her cheek.

"More advice I'll forget." Max laughed, trying not to fall over from Rachel's sudden assault.

"Good point."

Max swiped through a few more memories, mostly of her time with Chloe since Arcadia Bay. Then the memory from their first night together in the motel appeared and she couldn't help but smile. Remembering how inexperienced she was and how incredible Chloe was. It was another memory she would be happy to lose herself in.

"Are there... more to my powers?" She asked curiously, listing off her current abilities in her head. _Rewind, Freeze, Photo Jump, Free Space._

"Yes... but I can't teach you. You just have to... try to learn."

"Great advice." Max laughed.

* * *

 

Chloe gently pulled Max into the elevator and wrapped her arm around her waist after pushing the button for Rachel's floor. They had their travel bags in hand, it was time to check out, but the emotional high they were both riding wasn't going away any time soon. They were still kissing when the bell pinged and the doors opened. Another person entered the elevator but Chloe refused to open her eyes, she was enjoying the moment too much.

"Put her down Chloe." Rachel said, nudging her in the side.

"Alright... but only because you asked so nicely." Chloe said, kissing Max once more before releasing her from their embrace.

"What's the plan today then?" The blonde asked as the elevator descended.

"Back to the RV, then on to LA." Max answered with a smile. "We'll be there today if we want."

"I'd like that." Rachel smiled.

"Then that's our plan!" Chloe gave Rachel a quick hug. "You're finally going to get to LA."

"I can't wait!" Rachel looked excited, and so did Max.

They exited the elevator into the lobby, where Max took the key from Rachel and headed over to the front desk to check them out. Chloe leaned against a chair, watching her girl from afar and smiling happily all the time.

"You've got that look on your face." Rachel said from beside her.

"I had a good night." She laughed.

"You didn't pick a fight with her then?"

"No. It was months ago, and she's still here. I told her I knew, I gave her a speech but... we're great." Chloe still couldn't stop smiling. "I'm going to marry that girl."

Max returned and took Chloe's hand, lacing her fingers between Chloe's. The RV park wasn't far to walk, so they took in the sights on their way back. Max would take a few pictures of Rachel, who would pose and laugh, pulling Chloe into the shot. Rachel even took a few of Max and Chloe together, usually in some form of loving embrace. It was so great to feel normal again, not worrying about people following them or Rachel being in danger.

"Déjà vu." Chloe said as they entered the RV park.

"We have been here before." Max giggled, pulling her towards their RV playfully.

"I know, I just had one of those moments." Chloe scratched the back of her neck, she felt like she had forgotten something.

"Come on." Rachel said, taking Chloe's other hand and pulling her towards the RV. "We're burning daylight!"

It all happened so suddenly, Max pitched forward and dropped to the floor onto the hard gravel, her hands didn't even go out to stop her fall. Rachel screamed and reached for the girl, Chloe pulled forwards by Max's hand still grasping hers. Then men in black tactical clothing started rushing out from cover, trying to restrain them both. Chloe was on her knees trying to rouse Max, fear tugging at her chest as she saw the blood gently trickling from Max's head into the gravel.

"Chloe!" Rachel shouted as she was pulled off her feet by one of the men.

Chloe kicked and screamed as the men tried to pull her away from Max's prone form, she couldn't believe it was happening again. Rachel was kicking and screaming just as loudly, thrashing in her attempts to break away from the taller, stronger men. Chloe tried again to break away, scraping her boot against one of the men's shins forcing him to yell. His grip loosened, she took advantage of it, striking him as hard across the face as possible. The other man tried to compensate but Chloe kicked him in the groin. He fell with her to the floor, right next to Max.

The blood around Max's head scared her, it reminded her of that moment in Prescott's hotel and she could not lose her girl again. She tried to crawl towards her, kicking the man off her legs as she went. A hand pinned her shoulder to the ground, she could feel the press of cold metal on the back of her head.

"Don't fucking move." The man said.

"No! We need her alive!" Another yelled, Rachel gave a shout and the man yelled in pain.

Chloe looked up to see the blonde rushing towards her, evading the men as they reached out to grab her. With a bang Rachel collided with the man who had pressed the gun to Chloe's head, knocking him away and giving the girl a chance to reach Max. She rolled Max onto her back, the panic leaving her chest as she could feel the rise and fall of Max's breathing. She had a nasty scrape across the side of her head, the bullet had barely missed her.

"Max! Wake up! We need you!" Chloe yelled, gently shaking her soulmate.

"Chloe! Look out!" Rachel yelled, but too late. Chloe felt the strike of a rifle butt across the side of her face and fell onto Max, her hand falling to rest on the ring she had given her. Their beacon in the timeline.

The world around her froze just like one of Max's freeze times, then everything began slowly moving backwards including her. She was completely aware of the world changing around her, of the arms that wrapped around her body and then released her. She watched Max return to her feet and their hands take hold and then it all stopped. There was no sound, no movement of any kind. _How the fuck is this happening?_ She thought, just as time began to resume.

"We have been here before." Max giggled, pulling her towards their RV playfully.

"Max! Freeze us!" Chloe shouted, pulling the girl back into her arms. She had to act fast. Max did as she was told, freezing the two of them together, Max's lips locking with Chloe's as she brunette thought this was what she wanted.

When Chloe didn't return the affection straight away Max pulled back, concern in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I just... watched you get shot, some assholes are about to bum rush us." Chloe said. "It is literally seconds from now."

"Prescott's?" Max asked, a vicious glint in her eyes.

"Looked tactical, they knew to shoot you first."

"Where did they shoot me?" Max's voice was full of anger.

"In the head, it only grazed you." Chloe said, gently running her fingers over the spot Max had been hit.

"Then how did we get here? Chloe, what happened?"

"I touched your ring, I was hit over the head and fell onto it and... then everything rewound. Everything, including us."

"My ring?" Max looked confused.

"We'll have to work it out later, right now..."

"I need to fucking act." Max said sadly.

"No... we need to." Chloe replied, placing a hand on Max's cheek. "Together."

Max gently tugged Chloe through the freeze time to stand beside Rachel, never releasing each other's hands. Chloe understood her job before Max told her. "Grab Rachel, pull her into cover then get to the RV."

"What are you going to do?" Chloe asked.

"Not stand still long enough for whoever shoots me to get another shot. Get the RV started... I have a plan for that too."

"You want us to leave without you?"

"Just leave the door open." Max grinned and kissed Chloe lovingly. "It'll be okay."

Max released Chloe's hand reluctantly but she remained in the freeze time. The two girls looked at each other with confusion. "That's... new." Chloe grinned.

"We... what?" Max looked at her hands, the sapphires in her ring were shimmering oddly in the freeze time.

"We don't have time to work out the time powers! Okay, we do but..."

"No, you're right." Max said. "Stay there... I need to find an asshole to put down."

Chloe waited as Max struggled across the gravel into the shadow of one of the RVs, then time resumed.

"We need to go!" Chloe yelled, taking hold of Rachel's hand and dragging her across the RV park as the first gunshots rang out. Rachel's hand slipped out of Chloe's, she looked around and the world was rewinding. "What the fuck?" She said, backtracking to take hold of Rachel again just as time resumed. It happened again, and again, until they finally reached the RV. She fit the key in the lock and gave it a twist, then pulled the door open and pushed Rachel inside.

"Start the engine!" Chloe yelled, looking out beyond the door for a sign of Max. Time rewound again. Chloe gave her order to Rachel again, it was getting confusing keeping up with the time shifts.

Rachel had got the engine started as instructed, her travel bag discarded on the passenger seat. The RV started to move away, slowly approaching the entrance to the RV park. Chloe gave a yelp as time rewound, dumping her on the gravel as the RV moved backwards away from her. "Shit... fuck..." She kept pace with the RV until it started moving forwards again and stepped into the doorway gingerly. _Thank fuck you never rewound in a moving vehicle babe._ She thought, thinking of her wonderful time traveler.

Max appeared around a parked RV, her clothes splattered with blood again. She was struggling to run. Chloe jumped from the RV and raced towards her, refusing to let her go. Max rewound again, the world twisting around them, their RV moving away. Chloe hooked Max's arm over her shoulder and hauled her almost bodily towards the RV as it once again started moving forwards.

"So tired..." Max mumbled.

"We're almost there babe, one more rewind." Chloe said, keeping her girlfriend upright. Max rewound the world again, but her legs almost gave out, forcing Chloe to take more of the smaller girl in her arms trying to get them to the RV.

"So much for my plan." Max laughed. She froze time as they reached their RV, Chloe hauled her over the threshold and into the bedroom just as the brunette released her power.

"Let's go Rach!" Chloe yelled.

"How the fuck did you two get back there?" Rachel sounded surprised.

"Time travelers." Chloe grinned, collapsing onto the bed beside Max. She could feel the effects now, the blood running down her nose. Max looked no better in the blood of her enemies. "You really... need to learn how to shoot." Chloe laughed.

"When would I have..." Max started to say, grinning at her.

"The time?" Chloe kissed her sweetly. "You're a fucking rich time traveler you dork... you have all the time in the world."

"With you." Max smiled.

"That... was an experience." Chloe kissed her again.

"What do we do now?" Max smirked, a mischievous look in her eyes that Rachel had so often lately.

"Rest!" Rachel yelled.

Max and Chloe laughed as they lay together, their exhaustion stopping them from moving or getting cleaned up just yet.

* * *

 

"How the fuck did they fuck this up?!" Sean yelled at his phone.

"Caulfield." Becker said.

"No shit. I thought you sent them tactical data to handle her?" Sean paced the room, leaving his phone on the table. He'd put it onto speaker as soon as he'd received the bad news, he needed to move, he needed to vent his anger and Becker would be on the receiving end of it.

"I did. They either missed, or they received a warning." Becker answered, sounding mildly bored.

"Do I have your full attention?" Sean said. "I'd hate to think this was boring you."

"I have a... extra couple of guests in the car."

"So your mission was a success?" Sean asked, sitting at his desk.

"Yes. It's been more lucrative than we first believed."

"And why is that?"

"Sera has a beautiful little daughter." Becker sounded kinder, happier. He was putting on a show for his guests.

"We know she does... Miss Amber." Sean said, shaking his head.

"She has another." Becker laughed. "And Rachel will be so happy to see her little half sister!"

"Nice work Becker."


	17. A Road Untravelled

Max smiled into the mirror of the shower as Chloe gently washed the blood out of her hair, again. It was the second time they'd had to do this, the second time Max had returned covered in somebody else's blood. The first time it had sickened her, to think she could become so ruthless so quickly, this time had been necessary. Knowing they had already wounded her was enough to tip her over that edge, from sweet brunette to cold killer. Chloe had a new look in her eyes, she was more possessive again, but it didn't scare Max, it removed a weight from her heart. No matter what she had to do she knew Chloe would be there by her side.

"Sorry I got shot, again." Max said as Chloe ran her fingers through her wet hair.

"Not your fault, so don't start that." Chloe smiled. "I'm just glad it wasn't permanent."

"Like the scars?" Max asked.

"You know I love these scars." Chloe laughed, placing a hand against the scar on Max's back. "They're part of you. We could always get you some sick tattoos to cover them if you want."

"Rach said the same." Max laughed. "She told me to hide my scars in the stars."

"Good advice." Chloe whispered into her ear.

"You two better hurry up." Rachel shouted. "We don't have much water."

"Almost done!" Chloe replied, turning Max around and taking her hands, trying to clean the blood from her fingers once more.

"I could sleep for days." Max said, her eyes never leaving Chloe's face.

"You can do that when we've got the new RV." Chloe replied with a smirk. "Hopefully we won't get found again once we do have it."

"Non-stop to LA, get the new vehicle..."

"And get the fuck out of there." Chloe said, kissing Max's cheek sweetly before starting on her other hand.

They got out of the shower and wrapped themselves in towels, then returned to the bedroom where Max collapsed happily onto the mattress, burying her head in Chloe's pillow. She could feel sleep creeping up behind her eyes, wanting her to rest and regain her energy. Chloe dropped down onto the bed beside her and rolled her onto her back, kissing her nose gently.

"No sleeping, not yet." Chloe said, placing the necklace around her neck and the sapphire ring back on Max's finger.

"You want to know how it happened." Max smiled, playing with the ring straight away.

"It's a pretty big thing to be pulled into your rewinds without touching you." Chloe grinned.

"Should we wait to tell Rachel too?" She asked, looking through the open bedroom door to the front of their RV.

"If we don't understand it, how do we explain it?"

"Fair point." Max said, taking the opportunity to snuggle into Chloe, resting her head on the punk's shoulder.

"What do you think happened?" Chloe asked, taking Max's hand and looking at the sapphire ring.

Max shrugged. "You said... you touched the ring, right?"

"By accident, some fucker hit me in the head." Chloe said, her free hand going to the side of her head. Max reached up and gently ran her hand over the spot, there wasn't even an injury there.

"So the thing... rewind... also rewound us? Because I don't have a mark on my head either."

"Yeah... and you don't remember it either, do you?"

"Not a thing. But I was shot... again." Max mumbled. "I need a bulletproof vest."

"Bulletproof everything." Chloe grinned. "No fucking eyeholes. I can't lose you."

Max laughed and kissed Chloe's bare shoulder. "You're the one who keeps getting shot too."

"That was months ago!" Chloe protested.

"So... how did my ring allow you to cause a rewind?" Max mused, looking at the sparkling sapphires.

"You did say it was like a beacon in the timeline..." Chloe said, her finger gently running over the gems. "Maybe... you did something to it?"

"Like what?"

"Did you feel anything when you first put it on?"

Max thought back to that moment, trying to remember how she felt. "Yeah... a connection." She answered. "To you. Like... you'd given yourself to me completely."

"I have." Chloe whispered. Max looked away from her ring to Chloe, who was gazing at her. Their eyes locked and Max smiled.

"It's been one hell of a vacation." Max laughed.

"You just keep on surprising me. First you save me in the bathroom, then you choose me over the Bay... and now..."

"I intend to marry your punk ass."

"You better." Chloe smirked, nuzzling Max's nose gently.

"We'll have to run... tests." Max said, her eyes returning to the sapphires. "Try to work out just what we've done."

"And we need to deal with Prescott." Chloe added. "We can't have him and his secret cabal of assholes chasing us across the States."

"That is going to take a lot of planning, a lot of sneaking around..."

"We're time ninjas." Chloe smiled. "But I think you're right about one thing."

"What's that?" Max asked.

"We need to rest."

"I will not refuse sleep." Max mumbled, rolling a little closer to Chloe and finally allowing her eyes to close.

As sleep gently pulled at her mind she smiled at the close connection she could share with Chloe. She knew once she fell asleep completely she would be back in the free space, alone with her thoughts as her mind tried to comprehend her actions, but she was no longer afraid of that space. Not like she had been after dying. She just wished she could take Chloe there with her too, so they could choose their timeline together and make it happen.

* * *

 

"How's the head?" Rachel asked, sitting in a pile of memory dust in the picture gallery. Max had no idea which memory had shattered to produce it, but the memories in the picture frames along side it were all in tact.

"Absolutely fine." Max answered, sitting beside the blonde with confidence.

"Bet'cha didn't see that one coming." Rachel giggled.

"How much longer do I have to endure your stupid jokes and lack of information?" Max asked, running her hand through the dust.

"If I know my timelines, which I do... not much longer." Rachel answered sadly.

"Wow... a straight answer. That I'll forget."

"I can tell you're getting bored of these now. You want answers but you never get them, and you're wondering how much longer you have to see this shit before your mind can finally comprehend it." Rachel said, losing her jovial tone of voice.

"When you see them as many times as I have, and always leave with more questions than I arrived with, then yes..." Max said, staring at a new memory in a picture frame before her. "The mystery is wearing thin."

"You have a secret cabal breathing down your neck. A strange world you're trying to understand. A fiancée who can now ride the timeline with you. A best friend who you don't really know how to feel about. Yes, those are some interesting strings to put together."

"And a ring that pulled Chloe out of the timeline when I didn't even know that was possible." Max added.

"I told you. You had only scratched the surface of your powers..."

"I still don't know who you are." Max said, looking at Rachel cautiously. "You're so secretive about your identity."

"You won't remember, not until you understand. So why ruin the big reveal?" Rachel smirked. "This has definitely been an interesting experience."

* * *

 

"Prescott. Report." The synthetic voice ordered as soon as the council were all online.

"Caulfield escaped, again. We could not pursue." Sean answered, preparing for the barrage of abuse from the council members.

"No matter. The Gearhardt woman?" The voice said, surprising Sean.

"Detained. We've put her and her child into a nice home in Arcadia for now. She is under the impression she will get to see Rachel soon, considering the deaths of James and Rose Amber."

"Excellent work. Blackwell Academy?"

"Already accepting student applications. The lab in Portland is also operational." Sean smirked, he'd been working hard to get it all ready.

"Good. East coast operations are to move the package to Portland immediately."

"Chairman, what about the essence extraction program? It's still untested." The female British woman said.

"That is what we need Miss Amber for. Caulfield will not be off the grid for long, you've angered her, Prescott. She will be coming to you eventually. Prepare for her." The synthetic voice replied.

"We will be ready." Sean answered.

* * *

 

Max looked around the interior of their new home, admiring the polished look of the place. It was so much better than their old RV, which they'd already sold to make a little extra money. The battlebus, as Chloe had come to call it, was much more spacious. The dining table could be moved to make space for a second bed, giving Rachel a place to sleep in comfort, then she passed through the kitchen where a nice large cupboard held all the glasses and plates they could ever need. The heated bathroom was then on her left, a vast improvement over their previous RV. Finally she entered the bedroom, which she and Chloe had already started to claim with their own things. She jumped onto her new bed and fell in love almost immediately. It was the most comfortable mattress she'd ever laid upon.

"Oh I see, let us do all the work." Rachel said, dropping a box of polaroids on the floor at the foot of the bed.

"I'm taking a moment." Max smirked. "I could just..."

"Don't you dare." Rachel laughed, turning to take one of the bags of clothes from Chloe. "But we can't leave LA right away! I want to check out the sights, do some exploring..." The blonde smiled, dropping the bag onto the bed beside Max.

"We can do that, but we're going to need a car." In all the excitement over the last few days they'd completely forgotten to find a car that would go into the garage below their feet.

"So we're going car shopping too?" Rachel grinned.

"I get to choose." Chloe said, dropping another bag beside Max.

"You picked the bus, we're picking the car." Max said, pulling Rachel into a hug to make her point.

"But I'll be driving it." Chloe protested.

"We all will." Max retorted, releasing the blonde and taking hold of Chloe's jacket. "And you're just going to have to live with that."

Chloe smiled as Max pulled her closer, their lips about to touch when Rachel pushed them apart. "We have things to do, you can kiss later." The blonde said, pulling Chloe back out of the bedroom with her.

They remained busy well into the night, loading their things into their new home and finding a place for everything. Max and Chloe made their bed while Rachel organised the kitchen, then Chloe reorganised the kitchen to be more to her liking while Rachel put away her clothes. Max sprawled out on her bed, trying to get as much rest as she could. It had only been that morning that she'd once more killed to survive, Chloe seemed to have recovered far quicker, though the power hadn't really come from her, she'd only shared the experience. Max wondered if that connection had sapped her of her strength faster, having a passenger in her rewinds all the time.

"Rach... can we talk?" She asked as the blonde finished packing away her things.

"Sure..." Rachel smiled, dropping her bag into the bottom of the wardrobe and sitting on the end of the bed. "What's up?"

"Our connection, I was wondering... do you want it to close? Completely?"

"Honestly?" Rachel asked sadly. "No. I want it... but I would like to be able to control it."

Max nodded. "I knew you'd say that."

"You two need to sit down and work on it then." Chloe said, leaning against the doorframe with a smile on her face. "Max has to work on her powers every day, so you should both work on your emotions as well."

"She's right." Max smiled at her fiancée.

"So... once a day after your rewind, we sit down and work on it?" Rachel asked.

"Sounds like a plan." Chloe said, sitting on the bed with Max. "If I can help, just let me know." She grinned.

"Oh I know exactly how you'd want to help." Rachel laughed.

* * *

 

They rented a car and stayed in LA for a few days, checking out the sights for Rachel just like she'd always wanted. They visited a photography store so Max could buy more film for her polaroid, and Chloe bought her a brand new digital camera, with a lot of help from Max to get the right one. Max's joy for photography was returning when she wasn't under so much pressure, she could catch the right moment with the click of the camera, usually of Rachel or Chloe striking a pose for her. They had even sat on the edge of the Santa Monica pier eating fast food, watching the sun slowly setting beyond the horizon. Rachel had looked happier than she'd been in months, and Max could feel it in their connection. They never did get around to picking out a car to go in the garage, but they weren't in any hurry.

When they finally left the City of Angels behind, Rachel still looked happy and without a care in the world. Her mood infected Max, keeping her upbeat and overjoyed. Chloe noticed the change, teasing her and playing games on her, always looking for the fun in their lives.

The first day out from LA, Max and Chloe sat down on their bed for their first rewind since the RV park. They had no idea what would happen, but they had to run their tests. The first thing Max did was try to rewind alone.

"That... didn't work." Chloe said awkwardly.

"You got pulled along too?" Max asked.

"Yup... and we weren't even touching." Chloe got off the bed. "Try again." Max rewound another few seconds and released the power. "Still went with you." Chloe sighed.

"How the fuck is this happening?" Max demanded, rubbing her face in annoyance.

"Take the ring off." Chloe suggested.

"I..." Max looked at her sapphire ring and sighed, she really didn't want to have to take it off. "Fine." She mumbled, removing the ring from her finger sadly.

"Now... try to rewind."

"Give it a minute, or the ring is going to go straight back onto my finger and it won't be a good test." Max said, sitting back on the bed and staring at her ring on the covers. They waited in silence, then Max rewound time. "You... didn't rewind that time?" She asked.

"You rewound? No. Didn't come with you." Chloe said, sitting back down on the bed.

Max snapped up the ring and rewound again. Chloe remained seated on the bed beside her. "It's the ring." Max said, dropping it back down on the bed. "As long as I'm holding it, you will get pulled along with me."

Chloe snatched up the ring. "Rewind..." Max did as she was instructed, and Chloe remained seated beside her still, the ring clutched in her hand. "Whatever's going on, it has to do with this ring." Chloe said.

"Hey Rach!" Max called out.

"Yeah?" Rachel said, appearing in the doorway. "I thought you were rewinding?"

"We are." Chloe held out the ring. "Hold this."

Rachel took the ring from Chloe, Max tried to rewind but she couldn't. She was anchored again by Rachel. "Can't rewind with her."

"I'll have that back" Chloe took the ring back.

"Glad I could help." Rachel smiled, returning to whatever task she was doing while they played with time.

"So, how the fuck is this working?" Max said, more annoyed than before. "If I have it, you get pulled along. If you have it, you get pulled along. If Rachel has it, I'm anchored."

"You've seriously done something to this ring." Chloe laughed, looking into the gems that shimmered in the light.

"So... do I keep wearing it and drag you along whenever I rewind?" Max asked. "I don't really want to have to take it off."

Chloe took hold of the brunette's hand and gently put the ring back on her finger. "Yes, you drag me along." She smiled, gently placing her forehead against Max's. "I won't be anywhere without you anyway... and I love your powers."

"You sure?" Max asked, resisting the urge to kiss her right then.

"Fucking positive." Chloe smirked. "You no longer have to fight alone." She whispered, kissing Max's nose.

"That's... a really comforting thought." Max replied just as quietly, giving in to her emotions and kissing Chloe lovingly.

* * *

 

Soon they got into a routine. The hours in the morning that Max would be rewinding away, she and Chloe would work on their plan to bring down Prescott and his cabal. They only knew a few of his plans and they didn't want to contact Kristine until they had an idea of what they wanted to do. The problem wouldn't end with Prescott though, they had to remove whatever backers he had too. Max wanted to go in for a simple kill, but Chloe was the one calming her impulses, reminding her that they'd just replace the man with somebody else. It was odd to have Chloe as her voice of reason, but Max knew it was down to how much pain the man had caused her, she was finding it difficult to see beyond how personal it was.

After every rewind in the morning Max had to sit down with Rachel and start working on controlling their connection. They would sit for hours at a time, trying to concentrate on putting the other's feelings aside. Weeks passed and they made no progress. Chloe would join in by teasing Max during some sessions, trying to force one of them to finally lock out the feelings, only to elicit an annoyed gasp from Rachel, who would then storm off while Max reigned in her emotions.

One morning Chloe decided to use their rewind for some more intimate time with Max, which Max was all too happy to give her. But when it came to her training time with Rachel she found herself more on edge than usual. She couldn't stop thinking about her morning with Chloe and it was impacting her emotions. The whole point of these sessions was to control the emotions, so Rachel insisted they keep trying. It almost backfired when Rachel kept looking at Max's neck and lips, inching ever closer to the brunette before they heard Chloe swear loudly at the traffic, bringing the two girls back to their senses.

Finally, a week before Rachel's birthday, they got the tether under some form of control. Rachel had been feeling particularly angry during her time driving the battlebus and Max had successfully managed to smother the emotions, feeling none of Rachel's rage. She'd felt so happy about it she'd yelled out, shocking Chloe and confusing Rachel. It was the first success in a long line, each day after that they managed to limit the connection further until, a day before Rachel's birthday, it was a barely noticable itch at the back of their minds. If they wanted to feel each other, they could but they were no longer forced to.

"We need alcohol!" Rachel whooped, jumping up and down on the bed. "We need to fucking celebrate this shit, twice!"

"Three times." Chloe added. "For the birthday you missed."

"Fuck! Yep, three times! I want to get so wasted that I can't remember the night!" Rachel laughed, landing on Max and smothering the brunette with a hug.

"You have both done an awesome job!" Chloe said, pulling both girls into a tight embrace. "I am so fucking proud of you!"

"It's all on the time traveler, for that first success." Rachel smiled, kissing Max on the cheek.

Max smiled happily, content that her feelings were her own. There was a loneliness in that knowledge though. She would no longer be sharing her emotions with somebody on such a deep level, and they in turn wouldn't be sharing hers. The amazing connection she had with Rachel was coming to an end and the joy in the success was rapidly replaced by a sadness she couldn't understand.

"I'll get us some booze while you two clean up some space." Chloe smiled, kissing Max on the lips before pulling on her boots. "Rach, do you wanna find our deck of cards?" She asked before leaving the two alone.

"Yeah... I had them out yesterday, should be around here somewhere." Rachel laughed.

"Last day being a teenager... how does it feel?" Max asked, lying back on the bed and ignoring her instructions from Chloe.

"If I wasn't hiding from some shady cabal types I'd be out there partying and getting wasted." Rachel answered, throwing some of Chloe's dirty clothes into the wash basket.

"Instead of with us getting wasted?"

"I wouldn't trade time with you two for a party." Rachel grinned, but Max could see the sadness in her eyes.

"You know... we can control it, and I already miss it." Max said honestly.

Rachel sat on the edge of the bed, staring at Max with her gorgeous hazel eyes. "Seriously?"

"I feel a little... emptier." Max tried to open their connection, but she couldn't feel much of the blonde's emotions. It worked both ways, they couldn't even snoop on each other.

"Knowing what my emotions are... it's helped me understand something." Rachel said quietly.

"Oh?"

"I don't want to leave you both. I wasn't staying because of how you felt, I stayed because of how I feel."

Max smiled and reached a hand out for Rachel to join her. The girl didn't waste a moment, lying down beside Max and holding her hand. "What should we do?" Max asked quietly.

"I... want it back too. But... not tonight." Rachel answered quietly. "I want a night where... I know how I feel."

"I like the sound of that." Max agreed.

Rachel kissed Max gently on the cheek and hugged her tightly. "Tonight is going to be great!"

* * *

 

When Chloe returned heavily laden with bottles of alcohol Max knew she probably wasn't going to remember the night. She looked through the various amounts of red wine and beer, as well as a bottle of vodka. Holding the vodka up to Chloe she soon got an answer.

"Shots. For midnight." Chloe grinned, taking the bottle from Max and putting it with the shot glasses she'd just placed on the side.

"So we're mixing alcohol?" Max asked, taking another bottle of wine out of a bag.

"We're having a good night, she did miss her last birthday." Chloe turned to Max, placing her hands on the brunette's hips. "And you managed to control that connection... which is something else worth celebrating."

Max leaned in to the blunette, brushing the girls locks out of her eyes. She hadn't had a haircut in months, her strawberry blonde roots were showing and the blue was starting to fade. Max's hair was as long, but a haircut had been the last thing on their minds. She licked her lips, stood on her tiptoes and kissed Chloe softly. "Being with you is worth celebrating." She smiled as they broke their tender kiss.

"Mhm." Chloe kissed Max again, until Rachel nudged them both in the side.

"I'm going to change, so no coming into the bedroom, okay?" The blonde said.

"Alright, we'll get moving to another site, if you have one in mind?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah... I've invested in some land, where we can lay low for a while without being disturbed." Rachel said, opening her laptop and putting it on the dining table. "Not too far, right?"

Chloe released Max and leant over the laptop, looking at the map Rachel had opened up. Max slid into the booth seats, she loved the new motorhome they had, it was so much more comfortable than the last one.

"Yeah, we can get there today, in time for drinks later." Chloe nodded.

"You've seen our planning board then?" Max asked before Rachel returned to the bedroom.

"Yeah. And I've been trying to invest our money properly. This patch of land... it's off the grid, we'll be left alone and it'll give you the space you need to practice." Rachel explained, leaning against the doorway.

"Practice?" Max looked to Chloe, wondering how much the two girls had talked about their plans.

"Chloe told me you were going to need space to practice your powers, learn to shoot better. Shit like that. I'm not going to be able to talk you both out of this, so I figured I'd at least help where I can." Rachel smiled. "We're a team right? Even Batman needed tech support."

Chloe laughed as she sat in the driver's seat, rubbing her hands together as she prepared to drive them to the place Rachel had indicated. "But Batman didn't need a driver!"

"Well I'm not Batman." Max said, sliding back out of her seat at the table. "I'm SuperMax." She sat down in the passenger seat beside Chloe and kissed her forehead. "And I need a lot more looking after."

"Alright lovebirds, I'll leave you to it! I'm going to change." Rachel said, closing the bedroom door behind her.

Chloe started the engine and carefully took her battlebus back onto the highway. Max had nothing else she wanted to do that day but stay with Chloe, her company was enough to satisfy her needs. Max got the fun job of navigating the blunette towards the plot of land, though right now she wasn't really needed, they just had to stick to the highway. It had been a couple of hours before Rachel finally dropped into the seating area behind Chloe.

"What were you doing a year ago today?" Rachel said, kneeling on a seat at the dining table. Max looked round at the blonde who was wearing her hair in a ponytail and rocking a punk look as well.

"Worrying my ass off." Chloe answered. "And hoping I'd find you before your birthday."

"I'm sorry..." Max muttered.

"Shut up." Rachel said, pushing Max's shoulder playfully. "It's not your fault."

"If I forced a change in the timeline instead of that causal bullshit..."

"Max... don't." Chloe said sternly. "We're all together, here and now. That's what counts."

"Exactly. And if you'd done it any other way, I wouldn't have you in my head." Rachel laughed, getting off her seat and sitting in Max's lap.

"Oof, you know I'm only small?" Max complained.

Rachel stood back up. "Then hop up and let me sit down first." She blonde grinned.

Max rolled her eyes and did as instructed, then sat down on Rachel's lap, who wrapped her arms around the brunette gently.

"Get no ideas you two." Chloe said possessively.

"Wasn't gonna." Rachel laughed. "How much further? I wanna get this party started!"

"Another hour or two." Max answered.

"In that case..." Rachel reached past Max and flicked on the radio. "We need some music."

The following hours passed quickly as the girls sang along to songs on the radio, or poked fun at each other's singing voices. When Max refused to sing along Rachel would tickle her sides until she did. Months of pressure and tension were falling away from Max's shoulders, she was enjoying her life more and was so grateful she was sharing it with two stunning girls. Wanting to capture the moment she got off Rachel's lap and found her camera bag, retreiving the polaroid camera from the bottom.

"Not going to use the digital?" Chloe asked as Max sat down on the blonde's lap once more.

"I want an instant picture." Max answered, leaning back in Rachel's arms to get the best shot of the two of them. "Plus... I think the digital is going to get used a lot later." Max winked before taking the shot of her and Rachel. The blonde took the polaroid before Max could blink.

"We look so cute." Rachel smirked, waving the picture in front of Max's face. "See?"

Max held Rachel's hand to stop her waving the photo and smiled at the image. Rachel looked so happy and carefree again. "You look like a badass." Max smiled.

"Give it." Chloe said, holding out her hand for the picture. Rachel passed it over, wrapping an arm around Max so she didn't fall off her lap. "Fuck..." The blunette muttered, glancing at the photo quickly. "You two look awesome."

"And I'm not even dressed to impress." Max smiled, enjoying the compliment.

"We could change that." Rachel said, squeezing Max's waist playfully. "We still have time before we crack open the alcohol and get fucking wasted."

"And who am I dressing up for?" Max asked, grinning at Chloe.

"Well it's _my_ birthday... so... me?"

"What do you think Chloe, should I dress to impress this minion of mine?" Max said playfully.

"Do it." Chloe laughed. "I'm the one who will get to unwrap you later!"

"Perv." Max said as Rachel let her go and made her get up.

"Like you're complaining." Rachel said, pulling Max away from Chloe and towards the bedroom to change.

"This is your fault!" Max called out to Chloe as Rachel closed the door, a mischievous grin on the blonde's features.

* * *

 

Even without their emotional connection Max found it very hard not to allow the blonde's energetic and joyful nature to influence her. Rachel was just so upbeat as she had thrown clothes onto the bed trying to find a nice outfit. Max had no idea why she had to change out of her normal blue jeans and black t-shirt, she'd defaulted back to her old look that morning just out of convenience. Once she had picked out her clothing for the night, with a lot of influence from Rachel, the blonde left her to get dressed. She stripped down to her underwear then quickly pulled on the black ripped jeans, followed by a grey t-shirt with a black and gold skull on the front. She looked at herself in the mirror before pulling on the blue and black plaid shirt. Rachel really had an eye for clothes, but Max felt her hair was too messy. She really needed to get it cut, but risking a haircut while the battlebus was moving would be asking for trouble, and they wanted to start drinking once they got the bus set up for the night.

"Rach!" She called out, the door opened a little behind her.

"What's up?" The blonde asked, not coming into the room.

"Hair problems..." Max muttered. "Help?"

Rachel smirked as she stepped into the room, looking at Max's messy hair and obviously trying not to laugh. "Ponytail... it won't be as long or as awesome as mine but... you could pull it off. It's long enough."

Max looked in the mirror at Rachel and smiled weakly. "Could you...?"

"Of course. I'm your techie, in all things technical and fashion." Rachel sniggered, opening the cupboard that she'd stored her makeup in and rummaging around for a hair tie. Rachel stood behind Max and gently scraped back Max's hair, leaving her fringe alone, and tied it together in a ponytail close to her neck. She looked at the sides in the mirror and nodded her approval.

"Thank you." She said quietly, turning around to give Rachel a hug. Their heads bumped as Rachel went to kiss her on the cheek unexpectedly, causing them both to laugh.

"Come on... we're almost there I think." Rachel said, taking Max's hands and pulling her back out of the bedroom.

Rachel was right. Chloe was in the process of lining up the bus in the clearing of land Rachel had apparently purchased. It was a wide clearing with a single road of concrete leading up to it.

"We could build a house here eventually, if we wanted." Rachel grinned. "It has all the utilities already running to it, which is in part why I bought it. We can hook up the battlebus and not have to worry about using too much water or electricity. It's not too far from the local town either..."

"You really thought of everything." Chloe commented.

"That's my job. It's an investment, for the future." Rachel smiled happily.

"How are our investments? After buying the bus?" Max asked.

"You could buy another bus and it wouldn't dent our finances at this point."

"Fucking seriously?" Chloe sounded surprised.

"I'm good." Rachel sat in the passenger seat. "And those initial market plays helped a lot. I mean... a lot."

"Nicely done Rach." Max said, kissing the blonde on the forehead.

"And... we're... set." Chloe grinned. "I'll get us plugged in." She killed the engine and jumped up out of her seat, kissing Max as she passed.

"Things are going our way..." Max muttered, looking out the front window at the clearing they owned.

"For now..." Rachel said quietly. "I hope you two have a plan?"

"Almost. We'll get in touch with Kristine in a few days, see what she can give us." Max put a comforting hand on Rachel's shoulder. "But tonight... we're celebrating!"

* * *

 

The wine was uncorked, beer was flowing, music was blaring and Chloe just couldn't sit still. They'd started the night outside, using a fold out table and chairs to keep their alcohol safe. Chloe was dancing happily as the sun set behind her, giving Max an excellent shot to take her picture. Rachel would join in and they'd dance together, thrashing to the music the two of them loved so much. Max tried to stay in her seat, sipping happily at her wine but the blonde wouldn't allow it, she'd pull her out of the chair to dance, trying to get her to loosen up to the music and just let go.

As the night grew cooler they took their little party inside. Chloe danced on the bed without a care in the world, swigging from her beer bottle happily. Rachel would occassionally jump up and join her, though she almost fell off the bed a few times, barely managing to hang on by grabbing Chloe's shirt or neck. Max was using her digital camera to take more pictures of the two girls, she didn't even want to attempt to dance again and there was no way alcohol would have loosened her up enough to even attempt it. That didn't stop Rachel from taking the camera off her, putting it carefully on the bedside table and tugging the brunette out of her seat to dance with her on the bed with Chloe.

When Rachel left for the bathroom, Chloe pulled Max into the most glorious kiss of the night. Alcohol had dulled their senses but they were more than aware of how they both felt. If it was just the two of them, Chloe probably would have had Max in bed already by now. She wouldn't even resist in this state, she'd show the punk just how much she loved her.

"Shots!" Rachel called out. Chloe and Max dropped off the bed and went into the dining area, where Rachel had lined up a number of shots on the dining table.

"Midnight already?" Chloe asked, looking at the glasses on the table.

"In... 5 minutes." Rachel grinned, putting her phone away.

"So tell us birthday girl... in 5 minutes... what do you want most?" Max asked, sitting in the booth.

Rachel looked between the two girls, a glint of fire in her pretty hazel eyes. "I'll tell you both, in 5 minutes." She smirked.

Chloe sat in Max's lap and kissed her sweetly. "I think I'm getting drunk." She whispered, trying not to laugh.

"Don't get too wasted..." Max smiled, running a hand up Chloe's leg. "I want you to remember tonight, or at least a bit of it."

"Alright! Quit flirting!" Rachel said, playfully poking Chloe's shoulder. "Shots!" She yelled as an alarm on her phone started ringing out.

They each took a glass off the table. Max eyed hers nervously, but Chloe gave her a confident smirk and downed her vodka. Rachel followed suit and Max did the same. It hit the back of her throat with a kick and she grimaced.

"Oh fuck..." Max shook her head.

"Well that punched another V-card." Rachel laughed, clapping her hands. "First time?"

"Yeah." Max answered. "Fuck..."

"You'll get used to it." Chloe grinned.

"So tell us birthday girl... you said you would... what do you want most right now?" Max asked again, looking past her fiancée at the blonde.

"My two girls!" Rachel laughed, pouring out another shot for each of them. They all picked up their glasses once more. "To a fucking awesome friendship." They all clinked their glasses together and took the second shot.

"Phew..." Max said, shaking her head once more as the vodka hit the back of her throat. "Fuck..."

Chloe sniggered and kissed Max sweetly. "You wanna sit out?"

"How many more?" Max asked, her eyes watering slightly.

"One more." Rachel said, pouring out the third shot.

"I'll do it." Max smiled, taking her glass again.

"To..." Rachel looked at Max and smiled. "To my wonderful saviour. Without you I wouldn't be here. To Max!"

"To Max!" Chloe echoed. They all took the third shot.

"Back to the dancing!" Rachel shouted, grabbing a fresh bottle of beer off the kitchen counter, cracking it open and returning to the bedroom, where she jumped on their bed.

"You okay?" Chloe asked, standing up and helping Max out of her seat.

"I'm still... standing." Max smirked. "Come on..." She started pulling Chloe back into the bedroom.

They danced, then played some cards, danced some more, talked shit about the past and kept drinking. Max had no idea where the other two girls were getting their energy from to keep going, but they both looked so wonderfully happy. Chloe jumped up and started dancing to the next song, Rachel couldn't resist and stood up with her. Rachel's foot slipped, she almost fell off the bed again but Chloe grabbed her waist and kept her upright. Rachel's arms wrapped around her neck and their bodies collided together. Max was trying not to laugh when her insides turned to ice.

Instead of letting go of Chloe, Rachel had leaned into the punk and kissed her on the lips. What shocked Max was Chloe. She wasn't resisting the blonde, she was kissing her back. Max felt a stab of jealousy and pain, she didn't know what to do. She was frozen there in shock as Rachel kissed Max's fiancée. The kiss broke, and Chloe stood there stunned. Rachel looked at Max, but her eyes showed no remorse, she wasn't sorry for what she'd done. Max wanted to run, but she was frozen as the girl sat down on the bed in front of her, hooked a finger into the waist of Max's jeans and pulled her slowly towards her.

"What..." Max started to say when Rachel's lips pressed against her own, killing any thoughts of resisting or running away. She'd only ever kissed Chloe, but this felt different, new and... wonderful.

She heard the bounce of the bed as Chloe settled onto it, she was waiting for the shout for them to stop. It never came. Rachel released her from their kiss and Max looked to Chloe, who had sat down beside the blonde.

"Chloe... I'm..." Max started to say again when Chloe kissed her instead.

She was pulled onto Chloe's lap, straddling the punk's legs so she didn't break the kiss. She felt Rachel's hand working slowly up her back under the shirt. She felt a moan escape Chloe's lips into her mouth and cracked her eyes open to see Rachel kissing the blunette's neck. Their night was spiraling into a realm Max never even considered exploring, that had never crossed her mind. The alcohol was telling her to let go, her mind was telling her to resist, but her body wanted this moment. It was a battle her mind lost, outnumbered two to one.

Pushing Chloe to lie down on the bed, she turned to Rachel and pulled the blonde into another heart stopping kiss, a kiss she returned enthusiastically. Rachel removed her hand from Max's back and pushed the plaid shirt from her shoulders. Chloe seemed to understand the intent, because she sat up and helped the blonde take off the shirt. Rachel bit Max's lip as she pulled away, something Chloe would do to Max on occasion. Everything about them was so similar.

Rachel moved away from the edge of the bed and teasingly pulled Max with her, away from Chloe's lap. Before they could kiss again Max removed Rachel's jacket to reveal her red vest top, enhancing the girl's gorgeous neck. The scar on her left arm was also on show, but Max thought nothing of it. She leaned in to the girl and kissed her exposed neck softly, eliciting a sigh from the blonde. Max felt arms wrap around her waist from behind, then lips starting to kiss her own neck. Chloe knew exactly what would turn her on further and wasn't shying away from making it a reality.

Chloe gently pulled Max away from Rachel, her hands slowly working up Max's shirt. Rachel leaned back against the pillows, watching Chloe's hands work their way up the petite girl's body. When the shirt was up over Max's bra Chloe stopped kissing her neck and pulled the shirt off over her head. When Max looked at Rachel again the blonde had followed suit, removing her own blue vest top. Chloe released Max from her grip, who leaned forward into Rachel's embrace, their lips connecting once more. Max was lost in the lust and emotions of the moment, emotions held at bay for so long despite all of her best attempts to rid herself of them. Chloe wasn't even resisting the direction their night was going, and it was Rachel who had initiated the whole thing.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the Pricefielders out there, who may be shaking their heads right now: Hang in there, this is not the end of the story and there are some more twists in the road ahead. They're tagged as the couple! I'm not changing it after 17 chapters! I have a plan! Put the pitchforks down!
> 
> I've been agonising for a while about this last scene. Wondering if it would fit, if they would go that far together. In the end I just decided to write the party and see if it would flow and... here's the result.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the story, I hope you're not writing me angry letters of complaint... I'm already working on the next chapter so... thank you all for your time reading my work!


	18. Rachel's Birthday

A dull throbbing settled behind Max's eyes as she slowly woke up. Last nights events were a blur in her mind, mingled with her dreams. She was aware of an arm under her head and another over her bare waist, she snuggled back into the naked, warm body behind her. Chloe embraced her slightly tighter, making Max smile at the connection. She weakly opened her eyes and was surprised to see Chloe lying in front of her. The memories of last night came flooding back, everything the three of them had done together after Rachel's one illicit kiss with Chloe. She was actually lying in Rachel's arms while looking at her fiancée sleeping soundly only inches away.

She didn't know whether to jump up in alarm, or remain lying naked in the arms of her best friend, torn between the emotions she felt last night and the regret and doubt she felt now. Max felt her emotional connection with Rachel pounding against the side of her throbbing head, wanting to be let back in. She opened the connection tentatively and almost gasped as she felt the love and adoration Rachel was feeling for her right then.

"You're awake then." Rachel whispered sweetly into her ear. "I didn't want to wake you."

"Did... last night really happen?" Max whispered, only too aware of their state of undress.

"Yeah." Rachel whispered, kissing the back of Max's neck. Max closed her eyes, enjoying the touch despite her mind almost screaming at her to move away. She tried to hide her regret, the remorse. But their connection was open, and Rachel felt it. Her grip slackened. "You... don't approve?" The blonde said, her sadness evident in her voice and her emotions.

"I... I don't know." Max admitted quietly. "It was... incredible, awesome and... I loved every minute." She rolled over carefully, though remained in Rachel's arms. "I just... I don't understand. What does it do to mine and Chloe's relationship?"

"It doesn't do anything." Rachel smiled. "It was one night Max. It never has to happen again."

"I hope Chloe feels that way." Max muttered, resting her forehead against Rachel's.

"When she wakes up... I'll give you both time to talk about it." Rachel said, nuzzling Max's nose just like Chloe would do. "But... I want to thank you for the memory, and the experience." She smiled. "Please... don't take it away from me."

Max wrapped her arms around the blonde and hugged her tightly. "I won't." She whispered.

Rachel gently broke their embrace and started to get out of bed when she stopped, leaned back in to Max and kissed her sweetly on the lips. It felt so different to last night, so right but so wrong all at once. "I'm going to get dressed and get breakfast... before Chloe wakes up and freaks."

Max nodded and couldn't help but watch the blonde pull on her clothes before leaving the bedroom, closing the door behind her. She left their emotional connection open, feeling the happiness in Rachel's heart, the contentment she felt on this morning, her twentieth birthday. Rolling back over to watch Chloe sleep, she felt the same regret and concern for her relationship with Chloe, afraid that they'd crossed a line they couldn't return from. She didn't want Rachel feeling this pain and subtly closed their connection for the time being.

She moved closer to the blunette and kissed her softly on the lips, stirring the punk from her sleep. Chloe's eyes slowly opened and a smile spread across her face as she looked at Max.

"Any crazy dreams?" Max asked softly.

"Just one..." Chloe smirked. "You won't like it."

"Tell me anyway. I can punish you if I don't like it." Max said, placing her hand on Chloe's hip under the covers.

"It was an erotic dream." Chloe laughed quietly. "And you will disapprove."

"Let me guess then..." Max said, aware that Chloe was thinking last night was a dream, just as she'd done at first.

"Try it, you won't get it right."

"You... and me... and Rachel." Max grinned.

"How the fuck...? Are you a mind reader now?" Chloe asked, looking surprised.

"It happened." Max whispered. "She kissed you... and it happened."

"Oh... fuck." Chloe muttered. "Max I am so fucking sorry... I am so..."

"Shut up, stupid." She laughed, kissing her fiancée softly. "I wasn't exactly a reluctant participant." She said, trying to put Chloe's regret to rest.

"That I remember." Chloe said, trying to hide the happiness in her face.

"Do you... regret it?" Max asked, looking into Chloe's eyes.

Chloe gently stroked Max's cheek. "I... don't want it to ruin what we have." She said quietly.

Fear clutched at Max's heart. "But do you regret it?" She asked again.

"Max... I... I don't know what came over me. But I don't want it to happen again, not if it means I might lose you." Chloe explained. "I don't want to end up cheating on you, and lying to you..."

Max smiled at how much Chloe cared about her and kissed her once more. "You won't lie to me." She kissed her again. "You won't cheat on me." Another kiss. "I trust you Chloe. So tell me honestly... do you regret it?"

Chloe smiled and shook her head. "Not a fucking minute. I just hope it doesn't ruin our relationship."

"I won't let it." Max smirked, wrapping her arms around the blunette and holding onto her tightly. "You gave me an amazing memory and a new experience last night... I don't know if I'd ever want to repeat it, but it was with you. Another memory with you."

"I love you Max, more than I could ever fucking tell you."

"I love you too Chloe." Max smiled.

There was a soft knock on the door before it slowly opened, Rachel was carrying a tray of food, a shy look on her face. "Should I be afraid?" She asked quietly.

"No..." Chloe said, sitting up with the covers across her chest. "But we are going to talk about last night."

"Okay." Rachel said.

Max sat up as Rachel placed the tray on the bed, a bowl of cereal and a spoon for each of them as well as a glass of orange juice. Max appreciated the kind gesture, considering they should be treating her to breakfast, not the other way around.

"Last night..." Chloe started to say.

"Won't happen again... if you're uncomfortable with it." Rachel finished, sitting cross legged at the foot of the bed. "I won't put either of you on the spot like that."

Chloe nodded and picked up her bowl and spoon. She remained quiet as she ate, so Max followed suit, unsure how to break the awkward silence.

"Do you regret it Chloe?" Rachel asked between mouthfuls. "And be honest, I know when you're lying."

Chloe looked at Max first before answering. "No..." She smirked happily. "It was a brand new experience, for all of us." She said, putting her spoon in the bowl and taking Max's hand.

"And definitely a good one." Max grinned.

"You have no idea how happy that makes me." Rachel smiled happily. Like a switch being clicked Max reopened her connection to Rachel and could feel the happiness spreading through them both.

"There's some shit... we're going to need to... talk about." Chloe said.

"But not until tomorrow I hope? New rules tomorrow? Not on my birthday?" Rachel pleaded.

"Fine..." Chloe smiled. "But only because you're so damn pretty."

Max laughed and kissed her fiancée's cheek. "Tease."

"And a perv." Rachel grinned.

"We're the naked ones here Rach, I see you got dressed pretty damn quick." Chloe said.

"I could change that if you want me to join you in bed again?" Rachel smirked mischievously.

"I'm not even going to say what I'm thinking." Max laughed.

* * *

 

Despite some misgivings at first, Rachel soon stripped off and joined them back in bed. It hadn't taken much to persuade her, and Max had made it quite clear that it was up to her on her birthday, but it seemed the blonde wanted to keep the happiness and high emotions from their night, despite each of them suffering in their own way from hangovers. When the blunette returned from a trip to the bathroom she put Bladerunner in the DVD player and got back into bed. It gave them something to watch for a little while, something to pass the time of day. Chloe showed no signs of jealousy as Max snuggled into Rachel's arms, instead teasing them about their photograph from the day before and how she should have seen it coming.

Max knew they weren't even close to resolving whatever had happened between them, they'd reached common ground for now but whatever was happening with their relationships' was going to take far more than a ten minute conversation. It was going to take them weeks, perhaps months to come to any kind of decision regarding what could happen between them. But as she allowed these thoughts to assault her mind she felt Rachel's encompassing happiness swallow her doubts, a kiss on the back of the neck eradicating her fears. For Rachel's birthday, she was happy to stop thinking and just enjoy their safety and comfort.

"What time is it?" Max asked as the film finished, stretching her limbs but remaining in Rachel's arms. She couldn't understand why she was staying so close to the blonde instead of her fiancée.

Chloe checked the clock on her bedside table. "Three in the afternoon." She answered. "Which means... I'm going to get my ass up and cook the birthday meal." She leaned over and kissed Max sweetly before getting out of bed. She pulled on some underwear and a shirt, but didn't put on anything else.

"What's on the menu, chef?" Rachel asked with a smirk.

"What would the birthday girl like?" Chloe stood in the doorway facing the bed, awaiting an answer.

"Omelette?" Rachel said.

"Max? What would you like babe?" Chloe asked.

"Omelette sounds good." Max agreed.

"Omelettes it is!" Chloe clapped her hands together. "No funny business, I'm leaving the door open."

"This is... strange." Max commented as she listened to Chloe clattering around the kitchen area.

"Which part?" Rachel asked gently.

Max tried not to laugh at what she thought was a silly question. "The part where I'm naked in bed with my best friend, while Chloe cooks for us."

"We can get dressed now if you want." Rachel said. "I've had my fill." The blonde laughed, making Max giggle slightly.

"Yeah... let's get our asses out of bed." Max agreed. Rachel gradually moved away from Max's body and got out of bed, leaving Max in bed alone as the blonde once again got dressed.

"I'll check on the chef." Rachel winked.

Max listened as the two girls started laughing in the kitchen, her stomach knotted as she thought she heard the sound of a kiss. _How can Chloe seem so okay with me cuddling Rachel naked, but I hear one kiss and I'm ready to jump up and shout?_ She thought, throwing back the covers and getting out of bed herself. She pulled on some clothes and followed Rachel into the kitchen. Chloe was at the oven while Rachel had sat herself in the dining area, a happy smile on her face.

"I still can't believe last night happened." Chloe said absently. Max slipped her arms around Chloe's waist and kissed the taller girl's shoulder.

"Definitely a good birthday present." Rachel smirked, drumming a beat on the tabletop.

"Oh that's what we are now?" Chloe laughed. Max turned her head to look at the blonde, admiring her pretty features.

"Only if I get to keep you both for the day." Rachel's eyes had a playful glint in them.

"I think you've already had that." Max said quietly, keeping her arms around Chloe's waist.

"I'm selfish. I want more." Rachel said.

"You'll just have to wait til later." Chloe said. "We need to eat..."

"Oooo, later?" Rachel winked at Max.

Chloe laughed and shook her head. "You just want Max all to yourself."

"My own personal time traveler? Who fucking wouldn't?!" Rachel teased. "I'd be rich... oh wait..."

"We are rich." Max laughed.

"Well this time traveler is mine." Chloe said, turning around to wrap Max in her arms while the food cooked.

"We could share her?" Rachel grinned. "You have her in the week, I'll have her on weekends."

"Do I get a choice in this?" Max asked, looking between the two girls.

"No." Chloe and Rachel laughed.

* * *

 

Although they teased each other throughout the day they never acted on their jokes. Rachel did sleep in their bed with them though, having fallen asleep as they watched another movie together. Max didn't mind the closeness of the blonde in their bed, she felt comforted to know Rachel wanted to be close to the two of them without it being weird. Chloe seemed to be of the same opinion, having made no comment about the girl falling asleep with them. She'd wrapped Max in her arms as they both gradually fell asleep, though the last thing Max saw that night was the outline of Rachel's face.

Morning came and Max woke up in Rachel's arms once more. It concerned her to think she was instinictively moving into the blonde's embrace rather than Chloe's. But when she opened her eyes she realised why, Chloe wasn't in the bed. Max got out of bed, careful not to wake Rachel, and exited the bedroom. Chloe was at the dining table, their laptop open in front of her.

"Morning." Max yawned, sitting beside her.

"Hey babe." Chloe said, putting her arm around Max and kissing her forehead.

"Why weren't you in bed?" Max asked sadly. "I missed waking up to you."

"I had an idea, wanted to get to work on it before I forgot."

"You sure? It's not because of...?" Max started to say.

"No." Chloe said, pulling Max into her body tightly. "You need to stop worrying about it babe. It'll make you paranoid."

"Still feels kind of weird. I mean... you still love her, don't you?"

Chloe looked at Max with a strange look in her eyes. "Yeah, but not how I love you. You're my world Max. You gave me a life..."

"You'll be with me forever." Max smiled, rolling her sapphire ring around her finger with her thumb.

"Don't forget it, I even had it inscribed in your ring."

"That you did." Max smirked.

"My question is... Do you love Rachel?" Chloe asked quietly.

"That's... a complicated question." Max answered, trying not to look Chloe in the eyes.

"So uncomplicate it Max. Talk to me. Remember?"

Max nodded, she remembered their conversation about telling Chloe things. "I care about her, so much. The connection bonded us. When it was closed yesterday... I felt so lonely, not sharing things with her. Like... part of me had been taken away."

"I know that feeling." Chloe nodded. "When she disappeared..."

"It was so nice to know my feelings were my own. But... to answer your question. I love that blonde... but never the same as I love you." She nuzzled Chloe's shoulder gently. "I gave myself to you Chloe, all of me. It's why we can do what we do together... because I held nothing back."

"I know." Chloe smiled.

"And I love you both too!" Rachel said, yawning. She was stood in the doorway to the bedroom, her dragon tattoo on show.

"Have you been eavesdropping?" Max asked.

"Only because I didn't want to interrupt you." Rachel smiled, sitting down opposite the two of them. "So... the real question is... where do I stand in this relationship?"

Chloe looked at Max, biting her lip. "Where do you want to stand?" She asked, looking back to the blonde nervously.

"I... don't want to be a third wheel to your relationship. I'm fine watching you get married, because I understand how you both feel for each other. But if one of you is going to get jealous because I'm spending time with the other, this won't work. We'll end up ripping ourselves apart, we won't need Prescott to do that for us." Max was surprised at how much thought Rachel had put into this. "I'm happy going forward as we are, getting to spend time with you both, falling asleep watching Chloe's movies... as long as the both of you are."

"And if it gets weird?" Max asked.

"We take a step back, I sleep in here again." Rachel answered easily. "I'm not going to come between you two. But we have to make decisions together."

"Like we haven't been already." Chloe smirked. "Every decision we've made has been as a trio."

"Exactly." Rachel smiled. "We're just adding an... intimacy... to what we've already got."

"It's going to take a lot of getting used to." Max said quietly.

"Then let's take it slow, and if it doesn't work... you can go back to being Pricefield." Rachel winked.

"Max? What do you think?" Chloe asked.

"You both know how I feel." Max shrugged. "I... don't mind... seeing where this could go?" She said carefully.

"Tell you what... let's give it a few days for you to think about, no pressure. It's not like we're going anywhere, right?" Rachel offered.

"Alright." Max nodded. "I'll give it some thought."

"So will I." Chloe agreed, returning her attention to the laptop screen.

"So what'cha looking at Chloe?" Rachel asked, finally changing the subject.

"Prescott's holdings in Portland." Chloe smirked. "They have to be legally registered, and everything is just so digital now."

"Anything interesting?" Max asked, leaning over to look at the screen.

"His hotel, some warehouses, real estate." Chloe listed off the assets.

"Typical business bullshit." Rachel said.

"Yeah. We can't check everything, but you did find information in his penthouse?" Chloe looked at Max. "Maybe we need to go back and sneak through his shit?"

"That could work, as long as he hasn't moved it all." Max agreed. "But it'll take a few rewinds to get in position without alerting security."

"We could call Kristine? Get some information out of her?" Rachel said. "They declared war on you Max, nothing wrong with gathering allies now."

"She's right... we don't have to do this alone." Chloe admitted.

"Let's see what we can put together first, without involving Kristine. If we can't do it alone... we'll call her." Max said.

"You're the traveler." Rachel smiled. "Did you rewind yesterday? Or today?"

"No... I was a bit... overwhelmed yesterday. And Chloe wasn't in bed when I woke up this morning so..."

"You didn't do your normal rewind. That's okay. How far can you rewind now?"

"Three hours, with Chloe. Maybe five alone? I haven't been trying to rewind alone anymore." Max answered proudly. "I can hold the freeze for maybe an hour if I haven't been rewinding but... it's exhausting and wipes me out."

"Is that with Chloe?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah. So, maybe an hour and a half alone? Two would be pushing it." Max nodded. "It's not an exact science."

"Would it be easier for you to go into the penthouse alone then?" Chloe asked.

"Actually... it might be easier sending you." Max grinned.

"How... do you figure that?" Chloe looked at her curiously

"The ring... it gives us an amazing advantage. If you get hurt I can take it off and rewind you. If you get spotted I can rewind with you and you'll know what you shouldn't do. I won't have to give you hundreds of instructions." Max explained. "While if I go in and get hurt..."

"It's permanent." Rachel said, nodding her own understanding.

"Great... driver and ninja." Chloe smirked.

"We can go in together if you'd prefer." Max grinned. "Blackwell ninjas."

"Fuck yes." Chloe laughed. "I prefer that plan!"

"We're not going to go running straight to Portland are we?" Rachel asked. "You need to practice, we need more info."

"If I've learned anything after all these months on the road... it's not to rush anything." Max said, resting her elbow on the table and putting her head on her hand. "Whatever we do isn't going to be legal... so we need to be really careful."

Chloe closed the laptop and kissed the side of Max's head, getting the brunette to look round at her. "At least you're no longer wanting to run after Prescott and make him pay." She said with a smile.

"Oh I'm still going to make him pay." Max smirked. "I'm just going to do it the right way now."

* * *

 

They spent the rest of the day going over what they knew about Blackwell and what Amelia had told them about essence. Max had a nagging feeling at the back of her mind telling her they were wrong about this essence, but she couldn't grasp where this idea was coming from. It was like the latin phrase, an itch she couldn't scratch. It was unsettling her, which meant it was unsettling Rachel who would look at her, her hazel eyes filled with concern but unwilling to bring it up in front of Chloe. They hadn't actually told the blunette that they'd reopened their connection and left it open once more.

As the day rolled into night and they had just finished their evening meal, Max finally decided to tell Chloe the truth about the connection, hoping it wouldn't upset her too much.

"Chloe... I need to tell you something." Max said, putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher as Rachel handed them to her.

Chloe looked in from the bedroom, half undressed as she was about to get a shower. "What's up?" She asked curiously.

"Rachel and I..." Max started to say.

"We reopened our connection, yesterday... after our night." Rachel said, knowing what Max was doing.

"Why?" Chloe said, leaning against the doorframe. "Did you reopen it during...?"

"No!" Rachel said quickly. "No, I'd told Max that I wanted to feel my own emotions that night, it didn't happen because of that."

"I told you earlier how it felt, feeling shut off from her." Max explained. "Like losing a part of myself?"

"I remember." Chloe nodded. "So you're both going to just... leave it open at all times?"

"No." Rachel answered first. "We're going to respect each other's privacy, and only share the experience when we both want to."

Max hadn't thought that far ahead, and they hadn't talked about when they would allow the connection. She remained quiet for a moment, watching Chloe's reaction to the information instead.

"Alright... I guess it's up to you." Chloe shrugged, but Max could see a little sadness in her eyes.

Max placed the last item in the dishwasher, then walked up to her fiancée and wrapped her arms around the taller girl's waist. Chloe wrapped her own arms around Max's shoulders and kissed her head gently, comforting the smaller girl.

"You sure?" Max mumbled. All that confidence she'd built up over the last few months had come crashing down around her ears, her fear of upsetting and losing Chloe a controlling factor in her mind. She closed her connection to Rachel, ensuring the blonde couldn't feel Max's doubts and fears.

"I still have you." Chloe whispered. "I'm sure, it's fine."

Max felt Rachel's hands on her shoulders, gently massaging the tension out of them. "Come on, the punk needs her shower or she's going to smell worse." Rachel said softly. Regretfully, Max released the girl she loved so much, but not before Chloe had placed a loving kiss on her lips.

"I won't be long." Chloe smiled. "I'd tell you to join me... but..."

"You need a proper clean." Max nodded with a smirk.

"I've got her." Rachel said quietly, guiding Max past Chloe into the bedroom, sitting the brunette down on the bed.

They heard the bathroom door close and the shower start, but Max was losing herself in her thoughts. The connection with Rachel, if they went along with the intimacy idea, would possibly be a constant source of pain for Chloe. She wouldn't know if they were sharing feelings or closing each other out, she'd always feel out of touch with the two girls. Max couldn't see a solution to it, other than to refuse Rachel's idea. She was aware of blonde was watching her, she knew that Max had shut her out.

"Shall I leave you alone for a bit?" Rachel asked quietly, brushing Max's hair over her ear.

"Yes, please." Max mumbled, trying not to hurt Rachel too.

"Okay." She felt Rachel's lips brush against her forehead, then she was left alone in the bedroom.

She got up off the bed and closed the door, paced the foot of the bed a few times and finally sat back down in the dark. There was a weight in her heart she couldn't move, pulling down her emotions and her thoughts. She wanted to run away and never look back, but then she wanted to run after Prescott and make him pay for what he'd done. She didn't want to lose Chloe, but she'd made sure the blunette would have a good life with all the money they now had.

_I'm right back where I was all those months ago._ She thought sadly. _I'm the devil hiding among two angels._

Recalling her conversation with Chloe when they were in Vegas for the second time, she knew she should tell her how she was feeling. Max knew she should try to explain everything and get Chloe's help and support, but she didn't want to burden the girl with it all again. Round and round her thoughts went, a never ending circle of self-loathing and self-doubt. She thought she'd become stronger, confident, but the truth was when she was at her worst, everything came crashing back down.

The bedroom door slowly opened, the light outlined a tall girl wearing a towel around her chest. Max tried to smile, but could barely manage that. Chloe closed the door behind her and immediately sat down beside Max and wrapped her arms around her again, kissing her cheek.

"I know that look." Chloe whispered. "It's the one I hate to see."

"I'm just... struggling with... everything again." Max admitted quietly.

"Start from the top." Chloe said, resting her forehead against Max's.

* * *

 

Lying in Chloe's arms and explaining how she was feeling was the best therapy she could get. She wasn't judged, Chloe didn't tell her what to do or how to do it, she just listened. Then when Max was finally done, Chloe did the one thing that always made Max smile. They kissed. Their kisses would always remind Max of Chloe's bedroom, the first time she'd plucked up the courage and taken the dare, and then she would remember just how often the blunette had kissed her since Arcadia Bay. A day hadn't gone by where Chloe hadn't kissed Max. It was a purifying act, alleviating so many of Max's doubts. In the end, Max hadn't realised she'd fallen asleep in the loving arms of her partner. She slept peacefully, only slightly aware of another presence in the bed, but it didn't disturb her rest.

Max woke up some time later, but it was still dark in the bedroom. Chloe was asleep on one side of her, on the other was Rachel. The blonde had started as she wanted to go on, even without a definitive answer from Max. After her small breakdown last night though, Max was actually pleased to have Rachel so close. She lay awake, listening to the heavy breathing of the two girls, her mind racing around possibilities and events, reliving the moment she'd sealed Rachel's fate. Reliving the bullet wound that had killed her, only to be brought back by somebody she barely even knew, yet had the deepest of connections with.

She carefully extricated herself from the covers and slid down the bed. She had a plan, something only she could do. Opening one of the wardrobes in the bedroom she retrieved their old stock market job pictures, the same photos she had used to enact Rachel's plan to give them all the money they could need. With the photos in hand she rifled through Chloe's jeans pockets and found the item she had been searching for, then lastly she opened her camera bag. Buried deep in the bottom was the photo that had been dated, the photo that would allow Rachel to continue living past her terrible night in the Dark room.

With all these items, she grabbed one of their empty metal bins and slipped out of the battlebus into the cool night, the stars beautifully arrayed above her. She sat on one of their fold out chairs and stared absently up at the sky, admiring the twinkling stars. She'd never stopped to take in the beauty that was above her, she was always looking for another shot a little closer to home, yet the most wonderful shot was right above her.

Smiling, she dropped the pictures on the table beside her and pulled the bin in front of her chair. She picked up the dated photo and carefully looked at it, wary of activating her powers. If she were to go back by accident she could change so much more than she could possibly fix. She smiled at her old self, the shy girl in Seattle who had no real friends, who had decided to hide from the world behind her camera and failed to reach out to the one person she missed the most.

She jumped as the door to the bus opened beside her, and a blonde girl stepped out. Rachel smiled and sat in the chair beside Max, a curious look on her face. The moonlight gave them just enough light to see one another.

"I hope you're not..." Rachel started to say, but Max knew immediately what was on the girl's mind.

"No. I'm not going to undo your life." Max smiled encouragingly. "This is something I should have done a long time ago."

"What's that?" Rachel asked.

Max took the lighter she had taken from Chloe's pockets and ignited it. Then held the flame to the photo until it caught fire. She tilted the picture carefully, allowing more and more to burn before dropping it into the bin in front of her.

"Now... I can never undo it. Nobody could ever force me to undo it." Max smiled.

Rachel leaned towards Max, and in a sudden show of emotion, kissed the brunette on the lips with a passion Max hadn't felt before, not even from Chloe. She had just sealed Rachel's life, the girl could never be threatened with being erased. This was the only way Rachel knew she could show Max how much that meant to her. In that moment the barriers around the connection shattered, and they felt the love for each other they'd kept trying to hide.

Max knew Chloe was her one true love, after everything they had been through together she couldn't believe anything else. But Rachel was bonded to her on an emotional level, a depth she never believed possible if not for the supernatural ability she possessed, for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hi... so this turned out to be a bit fluffier than I intended, but after the last chapter I couldn't just wave my hand and tell you everything is okay!
> 
> This is the first chapter of the new year, 2018! I'd like to wish you all a Happy New Year and once again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you all for the kind comments and the fact you're taking time out of your lives to read this rollercoaster.


	19. The Rising Storm

The flames licked higher in the bin as the photographs burned, months of thinking and planning sealed in their timeline. It was a pleasant feeling as Max relaxed in Rachel's arms, sat together on one of the fold out chairs. Max worried what Chloe would think, but the blonde's emotions were so strong and encompassing it smothered the doubts under their majestic weight. She hadn't managed to rebuild the barrier around their connection, but she hadn't tried very hard. Once Rachel was in her mind she was a powerful presence, comforting, confident but also lonely, a cacophony of varying attitudes. It helped Max to understand everything she'd heard about the girl in Arcadia. She was a social chameleon because she had to be, because she had come to expect it of herself.

"Why did you want to leave so much?" Max asked, resting her head back and trying to look at the blonde out of the corner of her eye.

"Arcadia?" Rachel replied, looking into Max's eyes.

"Yeah."

"To escape." Rachel muttered. "I... was always something for somebody. I had to play a part, wear masks." She admitted sadly. "I once... tried to talk to Chloe about it, but... I never thought I was that way. I never thought I was like my Dad."

"And now?" Max gently took hold of one of Rachel's hands, a comforting grip as she felt the blonde's emotions shifting, growing darker.

"I made so many mistakes. I lied to the one person who only ever showed me love, and loyalty. She was clingy, she had her own problems but..." Rachel wiped a tear from her eye. "She was the one good person who was always there for me, through everything, every time of the day. She would be there waiting for me to leave Blackwell and her smile would just brighten up my day."

"We're allowed to make mistakes, as long as we learn from them." Max offered wisely.

"I didn't have the chance to learn from those mistakes." Rachel said sadly. "I died... and when you saved me... I'd lost everything. My parents, Chloe, Joyce. Frank's dead too. As much as I hated my Dad for what he did, for what he tried to do... he was still my Dad, ya know?"

Max nodded. "I know."

"All I have now is... the two of you. I go where you both go."

"Would you like to leave? Find your own way?" Max asked, afraid of the answer.

"I told you before..." The blonde smiled and nuzzled Max's nose playfully. "When we closed our connection for the first time, I knew my own feelings, I knew why I was following you both around. I want to be here." She grinned. "It's why I... did what I did."

"You won't want something more? Something we can't offer you?"

"There is nothing that I know of in this world that would make me want to leave the two of you. What the fuck is this world going to offer me that I haven't got?" Rachel laughed. "You made us rich."

"No, you made us rich, I was just a tool." Max quickly corrected her.

"But we're rich, we can get whatever we want as long as we look after our investments. Anything else is just... icing on the cake."

"What about modeling? Or acting?"

"Is that an option when we're running from a secret cabal?" Rachel asked seriously, taking Max off guard to begin with.

"Uhm?"

"Exactly. Maybe in the future... or maybe something as a hobby when we're not tracking down bad guys." Rachel smiled happily. "You'll have to keep practising with your cameras."

"When I have the time." Max laughed. "Okay, I always have time... so... when I feel the need?"

"That sounds better." Rachel laughed as well. "This is going to sound strange but... I feel like I can finally just be... me." She smiled. "I don't have to hide from you, or from Chloe."

"If you ever feel that way... tell me. Okay?" Max said, reaching up with her free hand and placing it on Rachel's cheek. "We can work through anything together."

"I know... you saved me from the Dark Room." Rachel leaned a little closer to Max, their lips almost touching. "You saved me from that hell."

"You saved me too..." Max whispered.

Before they could kiss again Max slowly pulled away, the fire had gone out and their tender moment was over. She couldn't kiss the blonde again without talking to Chloe, and deciding together what they wanted to do about Rachel's offer. Rachel seemed to understand and merely kissed Max's cheek before the brunette stood up and went back inside the bus.

* * *

 

It had been a couple of days since Max had burned the photos and secured Rachel's life. It was all the blonde could think about as she watched her two time traveling friends throwing two balls back and forth between them. Only they were really throwing the ball to themselves. From Rachel's perspective it was almost as though they were teleporting around the clearing. Chloe would throw a ball towards Max, and Max would throw the other to Chloe, but then they'd switch places and Chloe would catch the ball she had thrown, and Max would catch her own. It was a mind boggling thing to watch, but they were doing it to test Max's powers and their own dexterity. According to Rachel's phone they'd only been at it for thirty minutes, but when Max came running over she showed Rachel the time for them. They'd been at it for almost an hour and a half.

"Still feeling okay?" Rachel asked as the brunette sat down beside her, drinking from one of their sports bottles.

"Tired... but rewinding during a fight isn't like rewinding on a bed." Max grinned. "At least we have the space to do this now."

"Ready Max?!" Chloe called out.

"Ready!" Max shouted back, standing back up, her arm back ready to throw the ball.

"GO!" Chloe shouted.

Max threw the ball and in the blink of an eye Chloe was beside Rachel instead, preparing to catch the ball she had thrown. Once she had caught her ball the blunette slumped down in the chair and grabbed the other sports bottle, taking a large drink of the water.

"Having fun?" Rachel asked.

"Fuck cigarettes." The girl wheezed. "I... shouldn't have smoked so much."

"Do I need to start throwing my ball now?" Rachel asked, indicating the small pink ball beside her chair.

"Not yet." Chloe grinned. "I'll tell you when."

"Alright." Rachel smirked, watching the punk stand up and run back towards Max.

Rachel couldn't say she felt missed out, it was something the two of them would have to do daily to stay on top of the powers they now shared. In the future it would give her time to work on their investments, but today she could watch and enjoy the show. Neither of them had mentioned the offer she'd made the day after her birthday, but she was in no rush for an answer either. She couldn't imagine herself anywhere else anymore, there was no driving force telling her to leave and never look back. She'd finally found a comfortable point in her life, something she didn't want to lose.

Max reappeared beside her, her nose bleeding ever so slightly. Rachel pulled her down and gently wiped her nose, making sure it had stopped before releasing the girl from her grip. Then Max was gone again, pushing her limits despite being told to take it easy.

"Alright, we're done." Chloe said, her arm around Max's waist as they approached Rachel. "She overdid it."

"I won't improve unless..." Max started to say.

"No excuses Max." Rachel said, getting out of her chair and putting her own arm around Max's waist, helping to lead the girl to the bus. "There's improving, and there's killing yourself."

"You're using more energy pulling us both into freeze and rewinds, and you're using more running around. The moment you feel it's too much we have to stop." Chloe explained as they awkwardly entered the bus, guiding Max towards the bedroom.

"I lasted longer the first time I had to kill those assholes." Max muttered.

"And that time it was only you, rewinding, taking breaks." Chloe argued. "Not both of us, not freezing time as well."

"So you need to take it easy, because one bad day can wipe you out for a second." Rachel added. "You're powerful Max, but even you have limits."

"I know..." The brunette said, sitting down on the bed.

"I'll stay with her." Chloe said turning towards Rachel. "Do you want to make that phonecall now?"

"Well seeing as we're not going to get anything else done now... yeah I think I will." Rachel nodded.

"Which call?" Max asked.

"I'm going to call Kristine and see what kind of help she can offer us with the Portland Penthouse shit. If they've already hit it for info there's no point in us doing it again." Rachel explained, leaning against the doorway.

"Good luck with that." Max whispered.

"Okay... time for the traveler to get some rest." Chloe laughed.

"Rest well Max." Rachel said, leaving the two girls in the bedroom and closing the door behind her.

* * *

 

"You're in a desert, walking along in the sand when all of a sudden you look down and you see a..." Rachel said teasingly.

"What one?" Chloe asked.

"What?" Rachel said, confused.

"What desert?" Chloe said again.

"Doesn't make any difference what desert... it's completely hypothetical." Rachel answered.

Max opened her eyes and looked around the room. It wasn't free space, but it wasn't the art gallery. It was like a scene out of Chloe's favourite film. Max was sat at a desk alongside Chloe, and on the other side was Rachel with a machine in front of her.

"Oh! She's awake." Rachel grinned. "We've been playing a little game while you slept."

"Only because she wouldn't answer my fucking questions." Chloe retorted.

"Free space." Max said, resting her head on the table.

"Yep... right in one. And you did it again, you brought somebody else with you!" Rachel sounded annoyed. "I kept telling you, don't do it. Walk with Chloe in time. Not bring her here!"

"Don't talk to her like that!" Chloe shouted, standing up and banging her hands on the table, making Max jump. "You're in her fucking head speaking in riddles while she saves lives, over and over again."

"Chloe..." Max said quietly.

"No Max. I'm not going to allow some fucking spirit in your head, dressed like Rachel, put you down. Rachel wouldn't fucking do that, and I won't stand for it!" Chloe said, glaring at Rachel across the table.

"I like her Max... she is tenacious." Rachel smiled, leaning back in her chair. "She's protective of you..."

"You're damn right I am. She saved my life."

"At the expense of others, using powers I gave her." Rachel remained seated, unafraid of the aggression Chloe was exhibiting.

"And what did you do to save those lives? My Mom died because of that tornado, and Max still figured I was worth saving."

"I'll agree with you there... she thought you were so special." Rachel stood up, matching Chloe's stance.

"She is special." Max retorted, but Rachel continued.

"But what have you done but leave her alone while you ran off to LA? You couldn't even support her when she needed you." Rachel's eyes had that fire in them, but it scared Max this time, this wasn't the Rachel she knew. "And how much are you fighting for her now? You're letting her get sucked into the life and lies of a manipulative bitch."

"That's not fair!" Max shouted, but the spirit raged on.

"You were so obsessed with Rachel that you failed to notice her sinking her claws into the one girl who showed you nothing but love while you unconsciously manipulated her into doing your bidding. You're a failure, Chloe Price. You don't deserve Max's affections, or to be linked into her powers."

"That's not up to you." Max tried to intervene again, but it was almost as though she were invisible and mute.

"Rachel has changed." Chloe argued. "She went through hell! She isn't manipulating Max."

"Oh? Then why are you both seriously considering putting your relationship on the line for somebody who is incapable of truly caring for others?" Rachel smirked viciously.

"Enough!" Max shouted. The room exploded around them, shattering like pieces of glass and falling into dust around them. Chloe almost fell forward as the table shattered beneath her hands. Max put her arm around the blunette and held her up. "Chloe is no failure, and if you ever speak to her like that I'll erase you from my free space." She clenched her fists, ready to stand up for the girl she loved.

"You can't..." Rachel started to say, but her eyes showed her fear.

"I can. Because this space is mine." Max said, releasing her partner and advancing on the spirit. "If I choose to bring Chloe here with me, that is my choice. Do you understand?"

"I do." Rachel said, her own fists clenched at her sides.

"Now fuck off for a while, like you did for Rachel and I." Max turned her back on the spirit and looked at Chloe, who was beaming happily at her.

"Fuck Max... way to be the alpha." Chloe grinned, placing her hands on Max's hips.

"I'm sick of never getting any answers... but with you here..." Max smiled. "I have an idea."

"This is... your free space thing?" Chloe asked, looking at the sky. "Oh... fuck."

"Yeah... and it can be so much more than this." Max moved into her partner's embrace, kissing her collarbone. "Want to see our timeline?"

"Ours?" Chloe said.

Max closed her eyes, concentrating on what she wanted to show Chloe. She heard the blunette gasp as the art gallery formed around them, then another as the pictures appeared in the frames. Chloe released her grip on Max, who opened her eyes to watch the punk run up to one of their earlier memories together.

"Oh we were so fucking young." Chloe said, admiring the picture closely.

"That's just the start." Max smiled, sitting on a bench between the pictures.

"This is where you brought Rachel? Helped her with your... experiences?" Chloe asked, looking at Max curiously.

"I wish I had got to share it with you first... but..."

"It worked out." Chloe smiled. "You both got over that shit because of this... you both... became stronger."

"But this area, this is ours Chloe." Max smiled, noticing the memory of her first kiss with the Chloe and blushing as her fiancée approached it.

"This one really means a lot to you." Chloe observed. "It's framed better."

"It is?" Max asked, getting off the bench to approach the memory.

Chloe was right, it wasn't the simple framing like other memories, it was more ornate, decorated with small hearts within hearts.

"It was our first kiss." Max smiled as Chloe put an arm around her.

"All the hinting I did just to get that kiss out of you, and I was surprised when you did it." Chloe laughed.

"Hinting?" Max looked at her. "What hints?"

"Oh I was dropping hints all day before I finally dared you to kiss me." Chloe smirked. "You missed every single one."

"This memory... I think of it every time we kiss. Every time you hold me." Max admitted happily. "I'm so glad you dared me, and that I didn't shy away."

"What happens if I think of things?"

"Well when Rachel saw the Dark Room memory, she kind of... filled all the frames with her time in the Dark Room, that she could remember" Max recalled, thinking of that awful moment when she saw just how much the girl had gone through. "So... think of a memory, something that really stays with you."

Chloe closed her eyes for a moment, with Max watching her closely. She saw the picture change beside her and couldn't help but gasp, a hand going to her mouth.

"Did I do it wrong?" Chloe asked, but Max was too busy admiring the picture.

The memory was of Max accepting the sapphire ring in Vegas, her face framed by the city beyond the windows behind her. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of blue, lit up by the delight of accepting such a gift. Max noticed how Chloe's memories picked out the blue in the colours more than any other, sharpened and enhanced beyond what a camera could achieve without editing. It was fascinating to see how differently some people could view the world. Max hadn't noticed the effect on Rachel's memories, but they had all been dark and foreboding.

"It's... beautiful." Max said, surprised at how magnificent she looked through Chloe's eyes.

"So I did it right?"

"Better than anything I can do." Max smiled, turning into her partner and holding her tightly.

"This is what I think about when I'm thinking of you... how much you will go through for me, and how much I want our future together."

Max looked around the gallery and noticed how similar many of the pictures were, Chloe's memories of Max were all so wonderful enhanced as they were. But none of them had Rachel among the memories, no image of the blonde haired girl with the two of them. Either Chloe was really selective with the memories she'd chosen, or Rachel just didn't register on the same level as Max.

"Chloe... what do you see happening with Rachel... if we were to accept her offer?" Max asked shyly.

"I'm not sure about it... as selfish as this is going to sound... I don't want to share you." Chloe admitted, sitting in front of the beautiful memory of Max. "It was hard enough knowing she could feel your emotions. I hated it." Max sat down in front of her, taking hold of her hands so they were connected in some way. "Sharing you that night... I'd had a bit to drink and it was new and just so... different. I didn't really think about it too much."

"But you were okay on her birthday when I was... cuddled up to her?"

"That was different, I was suffering with a hangover and didn't want to make a big thing about it." Chloe chuckled. "I was just happy to see you happy, not hiding that connection with her."

"You know... when she first kissed you my insides turned to ice. I wanted to run away, or to rewind you both... something to undo what I'd just seen."

"But?"

"I didn't. Rachel just took control, pulling me in and... when I tried to apologise to you..."

"I kissed you too." Chloe nodded. "I find it strange Max. Strange sharing somebody I love with... somebody else I care about."

"You're my first relationship Chloe, my first love. You have no idea how strange it is for me." Max tried not to laugh.

"I'm not... closed to it." Chloe said quietly. "But I don't want to jump into this and ruin everything we have. It's not something we can come back from, even if you tried to rewind it all away. One of us will always remember, and it will haunt you if it doesn't work out, and it will drive us apart. I don't want that. I want my future with you, I will kill for that future."

"I have killed for you Chloe, I couldn't do more to prove how much I want a future with you." Max straddled Chloe's lap and kissed her gently.

"Oh." Chloe said, pointing beyond Max at the picture frame behind them.

Max turned to look and her heart caught in her throat. It wasn't the past, it wasn't the present, it wasn't even an alternate future. It was a wedding, their wedding, their future on display for them both to see. She felt the tears in her eyes and fell into Chloe's loving embrace as they both stared at the picture. Rachel was in the frame, looking happy at their union, as well as a small blonde haired girl in a similar dress to her.

"I want her in our lives, one way or another." Max said quietly. "But I want our future together." She said confidently.

"You'll have it babe." Chloe said, squeezing Max tightly. The picture remained the same as Max tried thinking between refusing Rachel's offer, and accepting it. The picture never changed, it never shifted. As long as she was with Chloe it looked to be their future. She couldn't make up her mind about Rachel, it was a dangerous unknown.

* * *

 

"Three days and the contact will meet up with us here." Rachel said, pointing at the map on the bed. "They're bringing equipment to help us with the plan."

"Kristine didn't want more money for this?" Chloe asked, looking at the map.

"Not a dime. She wants the info."

"We can't just take the bus and sit around waiting." Max said. She regretted not buying a car for the garage sooner.

"So once they get there we tell them to meet us here?" Rachel suggested.

"Take a photo before we accept the call. If they're followed or it's a trap you can use a jump and undo the damage." Chloe shrugged.

"How long to get here from there?" Max asked, refusing to consider a jump if she didn't need to.

"A couple of hours?" Rachel guessed. "Why? You thinking to hold off on your daily rewind and use it then?"

"Yeah, there's no harm in using a long rewind if things go badly." Max said. "It's easier than a jump, no missing memories either." She looked at Chloe who nodded her own consent.

"Kristine wants the information though, she says we can get first refusal on any missions that come from it." Rachel explained again. "But if we refuse, we can't go back on it."

"Unless we take photo's before all conversations with Kristine?" Chloe suggested this time.

"Max is the time traveler here, it's up to her if she wants to play our allies." Rachel countered. "If they ever discover Max is using her powers to play them..."

"Rachel's right. We can't work against people who are trying to help us." Max said. "If they screw up their own plans it's on them. We have to concentrate on bringing down Prescott and his Council. Let Kristine and her people work on the smaller things."

"Good point." Chloe acknowledged with a nod.

"So what do we do for three days while we wait?" Rachel asked.

"Let's get a car delivered to a garage nearby... so we have a means of transport besides the bus." Max said. "And we'll collect it later, it shouldn't cost too much right?"

"A drop in the ocean, I can get that done." Rachel nodded.

"And us?" Chloe said.

"We keep practicing our powers, try to stop me passing out too quickly, and so I don't have to rewind as often on a fumble." Max smirked.

"As for tonight..." Chloe grinned, getting out of bed at long last. "I'm going to make us something really nice... something something a la... something." The blunette joked, kissing Max on the lips, then Rachel on the cheek, before leaving them in the bedroom.

"You two okay?" Rachel asked, folding up the map carefully.

"She had her first free space session." Max smiled, lying back in bed and moving further below the covers. Her brain still felt sluggish after how far she'd pushed it, but it wasn't as bad as it had been in the past. She just needed more sleep.

"That's hella awesome." Rachel grinned, placing the folded map on the bedside table. "Did she enjoy it?"

"I think... we may have seen the future?" Max said carefully. "I'm not sure if it's because it was wishful thinking, or if we could actually make it happen."

"You're kidding me? You two can see the future together now?" Rachel sounded surprised.

"I don't know... it looked so real and so perfect I just... I hope it's true. I hope my powers have developed so I can trace the timeline forwards as well as backwards."

"Wouldn't that make it fate?" Rachel asked.

"Was it your fate to die in the Dark Room?" Max countered. "Our future isn't set... we can make any kind of decision and change everything in an instant. Look what I did to Chloe in the alternate timeline."

"I... don't think you ever told me?"

"I saved her Dad." Max said sadly. "And in turn, she got into a car crash after she turned sixteen, never met you, you ended up dying anyway and... I..." She hated this memory, it hurt her everytime she thought of it. She wiped the tears away quickly but Rachel had already felt the emotions, she smothered the brunette with a hug. "I helped... to kill her. I gave her the morphine so she could pass away." Max started crying harder.

"What did you do to her?" Chloe asked, having heard Max's attempts not to cry. She dropped onto the bed and putting an arm around Max.

"She told me about her... other timeline experience." Rachel answered.

"Oh." Chloe said, holding onto the brunette tightly.

"I'll cook tonight." Rachel said once again leaving the two of them alone once more.

* * *

 

Three days later the three of them were sat around the dining table waiting for the call from Kristine's contact. Max was fiddling with her polaroid camera, its age was starting to show and it had been playing up over the last couple of days when she'd tried taking pictures of Chloe. She had a manual open on one of the laptops, using the small tools Chloe had packed all those months ago in Seattle. Rachel was working on the other laptop with Chloe, conferring in hushed voices. Max knew it wasn't to give her peace and quiet, they were plotting something like only the two of them could do.

Rachel's phone started ringing. She hit the answer button and put it straight to speaker. "Hello?" Rachel said.

"I'm here, where are you?" A female said.

"Sending you our coordinates." Rachel answered, nodding to Chloe who sent a text from her phone to the number that had called them.

Silence, then the woman spoke again. "Got them, you've become smarter. I'll see you soon." The woman hung up.

"Who was that?" Max asked. "I recognised the voice but..."

"No fucking clue, but she knows us." Chloe said, getting out of the seat and disappearing into the bedroom.

"What are you doing?" Rachel called after her, but they had their answer when Chloe returned with Max's father's gun in its holster on her hip.

"I'm not taking any chances." Chloe smirked, sitting back down beside Rachel.

"You know I'm just going to rewind if it's an ambush?" Max said.

"Which is why you're going to stay in here until we make sure it's safe." Chloe said. "I'm not risking you because we got sloppy."

The hours passed at a crawl, though Max remained busy. She was determined to get the camera working properly again, if only because it was a momento not only of her time with Chloe, but also because it had once been Williams. He'd been like a second father to her and having something to remind her of him was important to her, there wasn't much left of his memory.

Chloe and Rachel both got out of their seats as a black van appeared up the road leading to their plot of land. Max took her ring off and stood at the window, watching the slow approach of the vehicle. A woman with short, dark hair exited the vehicle, her hands held away from her sides though with a briefcase in her one hand. Rachel and Chloe appeared to lower their guard, waving the woman to come over to the bus. Max quickly put the ring back on now that she was sure it was safe. She looked round as the door opened and the strange woman entered, it was only up close that she recognised the woman.

"Hey Max." The woman said with a smile.

"Hey Amelia!" Max said. "I thought you were..."

"Dead?" Amelia laughed. "Fuck no. I spent enough time with Prescott to know his bullshit tactics."

"So you're our contact?" Max said, returning to her seat. Amelia sat beside her as Chloe and Rachel returned to their own, closing the laptops so they could speak.

"I am your technical and tactical assistant." Amelia smirked. "In other words, I carry all the heavy things and make sure your plan is sound... or as much as I can understand it, what with working with a time traveler."

"So where do we begin?" Chloe asked.

"Well... Kristine sent these along, a small care package." Amelia placed the briefcase on the table and opened it up, taking out documents and passing them around. "You're still legally... you... but with what you have planned we made some fake identities for you to hide behind."

"Why are we going to need them?" Rachel asked, looking at her own.

"Because while sneaking in is all well and good, it's far easier to go in as guests and only have to sneak into the penthouse."

"I'm assuming you have a better plan than ours then?" Max asked, looking in her documents at the name. _Kayla DuClair... do I really look like a Kayla? Or french?  
_

"If you want it." Amelia said with a smile. "It's what I'm here for."

"Fill us in." Chloe nodded.

* * *

 

"Hello Miss Gearhardt, how may I help you today?" Sean asked politely when he answered the phone.

"Hello Mr Prescott. I was under the assumption I would get to see Rachel soon?" The woman asked. He knew this call was coming, he'd stalled her for as long as he could but he had no idea where Rachel was at this time.

"We had hoped to reunite you soon as well. Unfortunately she's given her minders the slip with Miss Price and they're proving difficult to track down." He lied.

"I remember her. She seems to have a habit of getting herself and my daughter into trouble."

"We are quite aware, they had a number of run ins with the Police when they were younger." Sean laughed, using all of his charisma to keep the women satisifed.

"I'm not surprised." Sera said. "Please let me know when you find them? I'd like to leave Arcadia Bay as soon as possible."

"Of course, of course." Sean said. "We're doing everything we can to track them down so we can reunite you with your daughter at long last."

"Thank you, Mr Prescott."

"You're quite welcome."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel it's important to note this, because I almost didn't post this chapter. Neither Chloe, nor Max, have said yes to Rachel's offer. At this time in this story, there is no Poly relationship. They had one night together, Rachel made the offer to the two of them, nothing has been decided. They did not say yes, they have not said no. They are having an adult discussion about it. What's to discuss? They do care about this person in their lives.
> 
> I'll reiterate it again. This is a Pricefield story. This is their journey and what bumps they experience together along the way, mixed in with some very dark events that has almost killed Max, twice, so far. 
> 
> For me it's being posted in the middle of the night. It's taken me all day to write it and I have not changed anything.


	20. Darkness Falls

Max sat in their brand new car along side Chloe. The blonde wig was the most uncomfortable thing she'd worn, but the dark blue suit and concealed holster made it unbearable. Amelia had practically demanded they wear the weapons, even if Max's experience with one was to get as close as possible and pull the trigger. Chloe was wearing a similar outfit, only she'd used temporary hair dye to turn her normally wonderful blue hair black. Amelia had explained how they needed to look very different after their last visit. Hair colour was the first step, but their dress sense and how they presented themselves were just as important.

"You okay?" Chloe asked, taking hold of Max's hand.

"Nervous, again." Max answered, squeezing Chloe's hand. "This holster is really uncomfortable."

"Things may not go to plan, you need to be prepared." Amelia said, her voice coming through a small earpiece on Max's ear. It would look like any normal business call, something they were hoping would secure their image as highly successful women.

"That is why I can rewind..." Max argued for what felt was the hundredth time.

"Max... we've been over this, stop arguing." Rachel said through the same earpiece.

"You're not the one going back into the Lion's den." Max hissed, well aware of Rachel's relative safety in the black van with Amelia.

"We'll be fine." Chloe smiled, exuding a sense of confidence Max wished she could possess right then.

"Okay... I'm into their security systems." Amelia said happily. "I have eyes on everything, and I can see any security alerts. You're good to go."

Chloe released Max's hand and put the car into drive, easing their brand new car out of the parking space they'd slipped into not far from the hotel. Max fiddled with the handle on the briefcase that contained her digital camera and a device Amelia had given to them to crack Prescott's computer. She'd thrown up the barriers around her emotions so Rachel wouldn't feel her anxiety, but also so she couldn't be distracted by anything Rachel was doing.

"Here we go..." Chloe muttered as she pulled up to the front doors of the hotel.

A valet approached the car door, opening it to allow Max out first. He then rushed around to the other side and opened the door for Chloe, who handed the man the keys as well as a small tip. Another man took their bags from the boot of the car. Max hooked her arm through Chloe's, who led the way through the doors into the lobby. She gripped her fiancée tighter as she recalled the last time she was here, the time she had been shot not far from where they currently stood.

"You're fine Max. You're still alive." Amelia sounded confident. "Don't think about it."

"How did you know?" Max smiled, playing up to the idea of being on a conference call.

"Field experience. It's common after an injury, or when you return to the scene of a trauma. We talked about this."

"I know..." Max muttered, standing away from Chloe as she approached the front desk.

"Good evening." The man said with a smile.

"Good evening. We have a room booked under DuClair." Chloe said, smiling politely. Max could almost see the strain in her face at being so polite. It didn't suit the punk at all.

"We have you down for a King VIP suite?" The man said, checking the information on the computer.

"That's correct." Chloe nodded, trying to look formal.

"I can see you both on security cameras. No alerts so they don't know who you are." Amelia said, keeping them up to date.

"Here's your room key." The man said, handing a keycard to a porter who had taken their bags. "The VIP lounge is available to you and open at all times. Any special meal requests will be handled in house and we hope you enjoy your stay."

"Thank you." Chloe said, turning on her heel and walking over to Max, who quickly took hold of Chloe's hand as they proceeded to the elevator. The porter led the way across the lobby, a sense of urgent purpose in his step.

"So far..." Amelia said.

"So good." Rachel finished.

Max and Chloe stood behind the porter in the elevator as it ascended through the floors, growing ever closer to the penthouse where they had found Rachel. The elevator stopped a floor below the penthouse, just like they planned, where they got out and proceeded to follow the porter to their room door. They placed the card to the lock and the handle clicked, allowing them access to the spacious room. Chloe tipped the porter with her forced smile and quickly closed the door as they left.

"I hate being so fucking nice to these assholes." Chloe said, groaning loudly. "These fuckers stood around watching you bleed." She continued, picking up the bag and throwing it through a doorway onto their bed.

"They're only civilians Chloe, this is just a job for them." Amelia explained.

"Good for them, they're still working for that asshole, and none of them called nine-one-one did they?"

"We always knew Prescott's pockets went deep." Max added, sitting down on the couch and trying not to scratch her head.

"Ours go deeper now." Rachel laughed. "Maybe we should just buy him out?"

"We need the council, buying him out won't get us that." Max replied, putting the briefcase on the seat beside her and opened it up. There was a third device alongside her camera, something she'd once made during their last ninja expedition in Blackwell, it was her masterkey.

"All good?" Chloe asked, leaning over the back of the couch.

"Everything's fine. We should only need to use the masterkey once." Max nodded.

"And if you need to use it more than that... it's a distraction only." Amelia reminded them.

"Okay... we're going off comms while we wait for midnight. I need some time with my partner." Chloe said, taking her own earpiece out.

"Call us if it's an emergency." Max said.

"Alright girls, I'll allow it, but only because..." Max took the earpiece out before Amelia could finish.

"She's bossy." Chloe said, taking Max's from her and dropping them on the bedside table in the other room.

Max closed the briefcase and placed it carefully on the floor beside the couch. Amelia had been adamant it was safe, but it didn't stop Max from feeling extremely nervous around it.

"She's doing her job." Max responded, looking at the blue nail varnish she'd been persuaded to put on. "And I... feel like I'm in somebody else's body."

"I know the feeling." Chloe said, slumping down on the couch beside Max. "I hope Rachel is okay."

"She'll be safe. She's with Amelia, and they've checked into a nice little motel not too far away." Max said, recalling the details of their plan. Where everybody had to be, what they would be doing. It was going to be a long night.

"It still feels strange to be back here, the place you were shot and... killed." Chloe whispered, struggling with the last word.

"I'm alive now." Max smiled, leaning against Chloe who quickly put an arm around her.

"And we're going to keep you that way." Chloe smiled, kissing the side of her head.

"How long until we get back to work?" Max asked.

Chloe pulled out her brand new phone. They all had one, they needed upgrades after using the same ones that Amelia had given them so many months ago. Chloe had snapped a blue case to hers, but the photo she used was one of Max. It made Max smile everytime she saw her goofy face trying to get away from Chloe's ambitious attempts to get a good picture of her.

"We have a couple of hours before we have to get moving again." Chloe said, opening a text message from Rachel and laughing. "Rachel says we suck, and Amelia is really boring."

Max laughed. "Tell her to stop bitching, she hasn't got to sneak through Prescott's dirty dossiers."

"Done..." Chloe smiled, putting the phone on the arm of the couch.

They sat in comfortable silence for a short time. Max was trying to get a handle on her feelings about death without the assistance of Rachel, who would surely have been trying to send her emotional support. They may have resolved their trauma of the Dark Room, but an actual death wasn't something they shared. In fact it made Max unique. She'd died and returned from the beyond, her mind had only been protected by the free space she had now shared with both of the girls in her life.

"You look good blonde..." Chloe whispered. "Maybe... we should dye your hair properly when we get back?"

"No... you're not living with two blondes." Max answered. "Plus... I miss my blue highlight."

"Why?" Chloe asked.

Max sighed and shook her head. "You dork. It's because it reminds me of you whenever I look in a mirror."

"I know." Chloe grinned. "I just wanted to hear you say it."

Max punched her arm playfully. "You know... black suits you."

"Fuck off. I'm going back to blue as soon as we're done with this shit. Maybe you should dye yours black instead? Blue highlight?" Chloe said.

"I like being a brunette." Max said shaking her head. "I may be wearing punk clothes now but I'm not going to change my hair too much."

"Ya know... I think this is the hardest part."

"What is?"

"Sitting around waiting for the time to make our move. It was so easy at Blackwell, you just snuck out of the dorm and we went straight in."

"Not long now." Max smiled, kissing her softly.

* * *

 

At midnight Max and Chloe left their suite, with their earpieces back in and their suits straightened up. Max once more carried the briefcase with their masterkey. It was all about timing now.

"Exact time, twelve-oh-one." Amelia said calmly. "You''ll need to rewind to twelve on the dot to remain off all cameras between there and the penthouse."

"And if we can't find one?" Chloe asked, pressing the button for the elevator.

"Ask me and I'll tell you the time." Amelia sighed. "We went over this."

"I'm double checking you know the plan." Chloe smirked at Max.

The elevator doors opened and the two of them stepped in. The penthouse suite required a key, but it seemed Amelia had that covered from her hack. "Going up..." Amelia muttered. The doors closed and the elevator proceeded upwards.

They stepped out into the familiar corridor leading to the penthouse doors and quickly approached them. Max opened the case and Chloe took out their masterkey.

"Are you sure you can't hack it?" Max asked quietly.

"Positive. It'll be easier for you to blow the door, go in and rewind to midnight." Amelia answered. "Plus I thought you liked blowing things up?"

"I like blowing things up." Chloe corrected her. "Max prefers the no evidence approach."

"Security have been alerted to your presence." Amelia said. "You have minutes before they're on you."

Chloe lodged their masterkey behind the door handle and took out her lighter. She looked so happy to finally get to blow something up, something she hadn't got to do in Blackwell. Max backed away down the corridor, concerned about the blast radius on their bomb.

"Fire in the hole." Chloe grinned, rushing over to Max and sticking her fingers in her ears.

The bomb exploded and blew the doors open. Chloe grabbed Max's hand and pulled her towards the doors, a small laugh escaping her lips as she looked at the damage she'd caused. She drew her weapon from under her suit jacket, carefully peering inside the penthouse before pulling Max over the threshold.

"Rewind time. Speak to you soon Amelia." Max said, pulling Chloe away from the doors before starting the rewind. Fortunately there was a clock on the wall, allowing Max to watch the hands move backwards as she undid the damage they'd caused and erased their presence on the cameras. At midnight on the dot she released the power.

"Amelia... time check." Chloe said.

"Midnight exactly. Where are you?" Amelia asked.

"Penthouse." Max answered. "Bomb was a success, no injuries."

"Find the data, good luck girls."

Max led the way down one of the corridors towards the room she had originally seen all the folders all those months ago. Chloe kept her weapon out and aimed forwards, refusing to leave anything to chance. Max felt reassured that one of them was comfortable around weapons, even if she wasn't despite all of her experiences using one.

They entered the room and found it to be full of boxes just like Max had seen before. Once they started opening the lids her insides turned cold, they were all empty. Every box was empty except for one on the table in the centre of the room.

"Oh shit..." Chloe said, looking inside it.

"What?" Max asked, standing on the other side of the table from Chloe.

The punk started producing folders from the box, Max's name was on one of them as well as Rachel's and Chloe's. Then came the other files on Victoria and her friends.

"These are the files." Max said, opening the one on Victoria.

She opened the briefcase and took her digital camera, then started taking pictures of each page, front and back. She kept going, passing folders back to Chloe as she completed getting photos of them. Max struggled not to read her own file when she received it, trying to focus on taking the pictures now and reading it later. They left the files on the table. They were going to rewind when they were back in their suite anyway, they had no need to clean up after themselves.

"Is there anything else?" Max asked, looking around the vandalised room.

"Fuck all. Not even a computer." Chloe answered, pacing in front of the desk.

"Amelia... there's no computer in here. Do you know where it should be?"

"It should be in the room with all the files, that was his study." Amelia answered.

"There's nothing else here. Only old files." Max said, looking around the room one last time. She repacked her camera and took hold of the briefcase.

"Get out of there then. He's been smart and moved his stuff." Amelia sounded downtrodden.

"We should have thought about this." Chloe whispered, peeking through the gap in the door before exiting the room.

"It was worth the risk if these files can tell us anything." Max whispered back, her hand on Chloe's suit jacket as the punk took the lead towards the entrance.

They rounded the corner and Chloe froze on the spot. "Fuck."

"What?" Max said, looking past her fiancée.

"Hello Miss Price, Miss Caulfield." Becker said. "We've been expecting you."

The man stood there with a weapon aimed at Chloe, he was also backed up by a number of bodyguards slowly moving around the room to get a better aim at the two girls.

"You could shoot me, do your trick to escape, maybe get shot again in the process." Becker said. "But that would be messy, and while I have no doubt you would eventually find the right combination to kill us all and escape, then fix it all as though it never happened... well... you'd be feeling pretty rough in the morning. So today... I'm going to step back... like so..." He continued, moving away from the door calmly. "I'm going to let you go. I'm only really here to deliver a message to Miss Amber."

"What fucking message?" Chloe said through gritted teeth.

"Max, what's going on?!" Amelia shouted.

"Please inform her that her mother and sister would like her company in Arcadia Bay." Becker said with a menacing smile. "They're dying to see her."

"I thought Rose was dead?" Max hissed into Chloe's ear.

"Oh not Rose Amber, Miss Caulfield. Sera Gearhardt, Rachel's biological mother." Becker smirked. "And we thought the three of you were so close."

"Max fucking answer me!" Amelia yelled again.

"And also... please tell Miss Holden I'll be seeing her real soon."

Max placed a hand on the door handle and opened it, Chloe was already trying to push Max through the door without taking her eyes off Becker and his team. As soon as the door clicked shut Max tore into a run and pushed the elevator button. Chloe was right behind her the whole way, refusing to take her eyes off the penthouse door.

"Amelia..." Max said, then thought better of it. "Nevermind. Tell you soon."

"Max... would you fucking explain..." Rachel said.

"Hold on." Max demanded, pushing the button for their floor once they were inside the elevator. Chloe refused to holster her weapon.

"How the fuck did they know we were here. How..." Chloe muttered.

"I don't know. I don't fucking know." Max said, pacing the small space of the elevator. The doors opened again and they raced down the hallway to their suite, Chloe holding the keycard to the lock and rushing inside. As soon as the door snapped to Max activated her second rewind of the night, watching the clock on the wall tick back to midnight.

The second the hand touched the twelve Max released the power.

"Amelia. Get out of there. Becker just intercepted us in the penthouse before we left. He said he'd be seeing you soon." Chloe ordered, her finger on the earpiece.

"Fuck... we're gone." Amelia said, the link went dead.

Max threw her earpiece onto the couch and continued pacing the room, trying to think what to do. "Call Rachel. Get her on the phone." She said.

Chloe opened her phone and hit Rachel's contact image and put it straight on speaker. It rang twice before the girl finally answered.

"Rach, where are you?" Chloe demanded.

"With Amelia. We're heading to another motel right now. What happened?" The girl said sounding worried.

"We ran into Becker. He said he'd see Amelia soon." Max answered.

"I got that part, what else?"

"Rach... sweetie..." Max looked at Chloe curiously. "They have Sera. They have your Mom. And... they have your sister."

"I have a fucking sister?" Rachel said incredulously.

* * *

 

Rather than stick around in the hotel hoping Becker wouldn't appear at their door, they checked out as soon as they'd checked their things and made sure Rachel and Amelia were safe. Once they were in their car and far enough away from the hotel, Max pulled the wig from her head and scratched her scalp, grateful to be rid of the thing.

"I'm never wearing a wig again." She said, throwing it into the backseat.

"Where are we going now?" Chloe asked. "We need a destination Max."

"Take us home..." Max said. "Our safe place."

"That's a three hour drive..." Chloe said, looking sideways at Max. "You sure?"

"Positive. I need to feel safe... especially after that... I don't know how the fuck they found us. I don't understand."

"Alright... okay." Chloe said, placing her hand on Max's knee. "We'll pick up Rachel and go home. Okay?"

Max nodded as she took out her phone and pressed Rachel's contact. The blonde answered almost immediately. "Max? Are you okay?"

"Where are you?" Max asked automatically.

"Motel outside Portland." Rachel answered, then Max received a text with the name of the motel from Amelia.

"We're coming to pick you up." Max said. "See you in a minute."

"Okay. See you soon." Rachel hung up.

Max couldn't explain how she was feeling. She was worried about Rachel's family but also upset that after all the time she'd spent with the two girls neither of them had told her about Rachel's biological mother. She hadn't been trusted with this piece of information and it hurt to realise she wasn't as close to Rachel as she'd come to believe. They pulled up outside the motel and Max got out as Rachel came rushing over, she dropped her bag before she reached Max and hugged the small girl tightly, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Are you okay?" Rachel asked again, but Max could only shake her head.

"Put your bag in the trunk." Chloe said, leaning on Max's seat to see through the open door. "We need to go."

Rachel followed the instructions, opening the trunk of the car and loading her bag in on top of Max and Chloe's. Amelia was already approaching.

"Give me the briefcase." The woman said, stopping in front of Max. She didn't argue, she took her camera out and handed the woman the case. "Alright... go home. I'll catch up later." Amelia turned on her heel and returned across the parking lot to her motel room.

Max nodded as Rachel released the catch on the passenger seat so she could squeeze into the back seats. Max was about to put the seat back when Chloe shook her head. "Get in the back." Chloe's eyes were pleading with her to listen, to not argue and just do it.

"I'd rather be by you." Max muttered.

"Max... come on sweetie" Rachel pleaded from behind Chloe's seat. "We need to talk."

"Fine." Max sighed, climbing in beside Rachel. Chloe pushed the passenger seat back and pulled the passenger door closed.

Max felt uncomfortable in the back seat with Rachel looking at her. She kept the barrier up around her emotions, refusing to let the girl in after the recent revelation. It was one thing after another, always another twist she couldn't see coming. They sat in silence as Chloe drove them out of Portland, but Rachel's hazel eyes never left Max. Watching her, waiting for the moment she would speak.

"Max..." Rachel said quietly.

"I'm not in the mood." Max responded, looking out the small window by her head at the passing countryside.

"Max... you need to talk." Chloe sounded annoyed. "You need to understand..."

"Understand that neither of you told me the truth? After all these months, after our fucking conversation about how you had no parents." Max said, staring at Rachel. "Neither of you fucking told me." She crossed her arms, feeling the gun pressing against her side.

"It wasn't important..." Rachel started to say.

"Oh yeah, really unimportant considering those fuckers now have your family." Max retorted.

"Max... that isn't fair." Chloe said.

"Fuck off Chloe." Max snapped. "You fucking knew and you didn't tell me either. Everybody fucking lies, no exceptions."

The two girls stopped trying to get Max to talk after she snapped at Chloe. At first Max couldn't understand why it had pissed her off so much, then it clicked. _I couldn't plan for something I didn't fucking know about. And now they have leverage over us again. Fuck you Chloe... why didn't you ever fucking tell me?! All those hours we worked through this shit, all the hours we tried to plan to bring down Prescott and both of you left a fucking hole in our plans._

It was four in the morning when they reached the battlebus and Max quickly got out of the car and slammed the door. At first she went into their home, removing her jacket and the uncomfortable weapon holster from her shoulders. She got changed in a hurry, pulling on a normal pair of jeans and a jacket over the business shirt she hadn't bothered to take off.

"Max..." Chloe said from the bedroom doorway. "Please..."

"Move." Max said, trying to leave the bedroom.

"No... talk to me, please." Chloe pleaded.

"I have nothing to say to you right now. I need some fresh air." Max argued. "Now move, please."

Chloe stepped back out of Max's way, allowing the brunette to pass. She brushed past Rachel in the dining area and out into the early morning air. At first she paced the ground just outside the door, then stormed off around the clearing. She wanted time to think, to assess their problem. Wondering when Sera had been taken and what she would have to do to fix it. If there was anything she could do to fix it. Every possible outcome caused a pain in her mind, memories she would be erasing from Chloe or Rachel. Everything they had done over however many months to put this problem right.

She sat by a tree and lightly tapped her head against the trunk, trying to stay awake as she fought against sleep, trying to plan for all possibilities without visiting free space. Rachel and Chloe had left her a mess she had to clean up, a mess that could ruin so much if she got it wrong.

_It's either that or try to free them, go to Arcadia Bay where they've already set a fucking trap._

"Fuck." She said loudly. "Fuck!" She shouted a little louder. "Fuck, Fuck, FUCK!" She yelled, hitting the ground beside her as she thought again of the memories she would have to erase, or the danger she would have to put herself in.

* * *

 

"I told you not to trust her." Rachel said, sitting in the branches above Max's head. "I told you to be careful."

"Fuck off." Max said automatically, looking around the free space at the piles of memory dust that always seemed to appear when she was dying or preparing to change something.

"How do you fix this one Max? How much do you erase to secure your life, Chloe's life, Rachel's life?" The girl said, dropping down beside Max and sitting in the pile of memory dust. "What is the correct level of sacrifice? One or two people? Eight of twelve? A town? Maybe all the students in Blackwell when you don't go to Arcadia Bay?"

"You're the idiot who gave somebody like me these powers, why don't you tell me?" Max replied.

"No no no. I didn't give you the powers to fuck around with one person's timeline. Just like Arcadia you're missing the bigger picture. You're so busy chasing after the insignificant you're missing the point." Rachel's face seemed to shift, disturbing Max. It was as though somebody else was wearing her image, not a spirit, but another person. "You got so wrapped up in your feelings for Chloe, and the emotions you were sharing with Rachel, that you put everything at risk. You ran away and hid. You lost your focus, you spent too much time fucking around."

"So I'm not allowed a life? I'm not allowed new experiences? I have to stick to the line as it is drawn in the sand? I thought I was a time traveler?" Max asked angrily. "I thought I was allowed to make mistakes and explore who I am? Then fix the problem? Because what is a time traveler who doesn't travel through time and... bend the rules a little bit?"

"I've been dealing with this shit for far longer than you know."

"You probably have been, because I still don't fucking know what you are!" Max yelled, standing up and moving away from her.

"You could have been... so much more than this." Rachel said, shaking her head sadly. "You have the powers of a Queen, but you're playing in the sand like a child. Bitching that it isn't fair. Knowledge is not freely given, it is earned!"

"Like I earned these powers? By letting a town die? Great fucking way to earn them." Max argued.

"You're in a really argumentative mood."

"That tends to happen when people fucking lie to you!" Max shouted.

"Then stop being a fucking bitch about it and use your powers!" Rachel shouted back. "You are in your free space... you can access timelines... so... what do you do?"

Max took a step back as the weight of the words hit her in the chest. "I scour the timeline."

"Fucking hell, the dork finally has an idea." Rachel laughed.

"Fuck you too." Max said, closing her eyes and trying to start the process of filling in the free space with the timeline. She had to find a solution.

"And here... we... go." Rachel sniggered.

Max opened her eyes and looking at the art gallery, hundreds upon hundreds of pictures arrayed along the walls above her, far too many for her to work through alone. "Fuck..."

"Chloe could have done this better." Rachel said, leaning against a wall.

"Chloe is too busy fucking her best friend and lying to her fiancée to give a shit about others." Max retorted, only to be slapped by Rachel, shocking her. "What the fuck?"

"You're going to regret that soon." Rachel said sadly. "So make the most of the time you have with that girl."

Max shook her heard and concentrated on finding what she needed in the timeline. She tried to refocus her thoughts on Rachel's, but she was too angry. Her memories were all representative of how she felt betrayed, events that had happened between them that now felt hollow and painful. She tried focusing on Sera instead, but having never met the woman the frames remained fix on Rachel.

"This isn't getting me anywhere." Max said sadly, trying to refocus her thoughts on her own timeline. It didn't work. "What's going on?"

Rachel looked around the free space and sadly shook her head. "You... weren't quick enough. You're being woken up."

"What?" Max looked at Rachel, who suddenly changed into Chloe.

"Listen to me very carefully, and try not to forget this." Chloe took her hands, squeezing tighter than ever before. "Do not let Chloe go. Fight with everything you have, you have got to fight Max. You have got to be strong."

"What's..." The free space shattered around her and she woke up.

* * *

 

Max sat bolt right upwards as Chloe tried to move her. She could hear shouting and gunfire, something bad was happening and her mind was struggling to catch up.

"Max we have to fucking go!" Chloe shouted again.

"I'm awake, what's happening?" Max asked. Chloe held an earpiece out to Max, which she quickly put in. "Hello?" She asked.

"Max! Thank fuck. It's Amelia. I just got back but it's an ambush. Becker has Rachel and I pinned down in the bus." Amelia said. "I'm so fucking sorry, they followed me..."

"It's fine." Max said, streching her arms and neck as she prepared to fight. "Are you both okay? You're not wounded?" Max asked, accepting the weapon from Chloe without complaint.

"Safe as can be with bullets buzzing past our ears. If they wanted us dead, we would be."

"Chloe... I'm not taking you with me." Max whispered sadly. "I can't risk losing you. I won't."

"Bullshit Max. I'm fighting with you." Chloe argued. "It's what we kept training for, so don't fucking argue."

Max shook her head. "I am so sorry for last night."

"We'll have time later to talk about it." Chloe said, pulling her into a kiss. "Remember. Forever."

"Never forgetting it." Max smirked.

They raced across the field together, carefully avoiding the attention of the men assaulting their home. Max didn't know whether she'd been lucky to wander away from the bus or unlucky to not be able to resolve this sooner. Once they were close enough Max started their first rewind, undoing a lot of damage to their home and moving the men around the area. She could see them hiding behind black vehicles carrying automatic weapons. They were going to have to move fast.

"You're on the comms right?" Max asked. Chloe nodded. "Okay. Like we practised."

They kissed one last time before they threw themselves into danger. They ran around the bus together, running towards the first couple of men. Once the weapon turned to face Max she rewound, and again, until she was upon him. Chloe had reached her target too and the discharge of both of their weapons simultaneously satisfied Max, they were already in sync but they had to keep it up.

Through their enemies they carved a bloody path, closing in and taking the shot. Chloe could hit her targets from further away then Max, who had to always get up close to her target. Unfortunately she had to rewind mistakes they would make, missing shots or failing to close in quickly enough. The extra person in her rewinds was slowing her faster, and she hadn't slept very well last night.

Then the unthinkable happened. Chloe had closed in for a kill, but Max couldn't rewind quickly enough. Becker grabbed Chloe by the throat and knocked her weapon away, but he didn't release her, and Max couldn't rewind while Chloe was held. She hid behind a vehicle as bullets pinged off the hood of the car. She scrambled, trying to get the ring off her finger when a man appeared around the vehicle and smacked her in the face with the butt of his gun. She fell back, her nose bloody, when gunshots rang out and the man dropped to the floor.

Max looked to the bus and could see Amelia in the doorway, firing on soldiers to give Max a fighting chance. She got the ring off and dropped it on the floor, freezing time around her with the last of her energy. She struggled across the warzone, every step causing her pain as she tried to get closer to the love of her life. She could see the fear in Chloe's eyes as Becker held a gun to her head, his face was full of triumph. Max swore they wouldn't kill her, they couldn't kill her without angering Max and Rachel. They needed the punk alive.

She reached them and released her power, pointing her weapon at Becker's head, just as he was doing to Chloe.

"You... fucking lose." Max said quietly, her exhaustion blinding her eyes.

"Please..." Becker sneered, he grabbed the gun and Max pulled the trigger. She watched in horror as the bullet hit Chloe instead. Her aim had been off already, and Becker's grab for her weapon was enough to cause a catastrophic error.

Becker dropped Chloe to the ground and wrenched the gun from Max's hand, backhanding her towards Chloe's prone form. A scream split the silent clearing and Rachel's body crashed into Max, trying to reach for Chloe. Out of the corner of her eyes Max could see Amelia being forced to her knees beside them, and their home on fire behind her.

"No fixes for you Caulfield." Becker said, punching Max again and knocking her out.

* * *

 

"Max." Chloe said, sitting in front of her in free space. "I think I'm dying." Max looked down at the blood forming on Chloe's shirt and almost cried out.

"But we're in free space." She said, trying to help her fiancée. "This... no no no."

"It's okay." Chloe smiled sadly, as the spirit Rachel appeared beside them, a sad look in her eyes.

"You fucking knew!" Max raged, pushing the spirit away. "You fucking knew and you didn't warn me!"

"I did warn you Max. I told you to be strong." Rachel said, accepting the push and the shoves.

"Max... is there... anything you can do here?" Chloe whispered, holding her wound as her life force slipped away.

"I can... we can..." Max looked at the spirit, who nodded sadly. "I can save you in a memory, I can give you a memory to live in forever, to never leave me. Whenever I think of that memory you'll be with me, whenever I see you there..." Max cried.

"Then fucking do it." Chloe pleaded. "I can't be without you Max. I can't..." The blunette cried too. It killed Max to see her this way again.

"Pick a memory, your favourite one. Concentrate on it." Max said, wiping tears from her eyes as she tried to remember the process she had almost taken for herself.

Chloe nodded, her eyes closed, as her memory of Max in Vegas appeared before them. The blues picked out beautifully.

"I don't want to lose you." Max pleaded.

"You aren't losing me Max." Chloe said, placing a hand to Max's cheek. "You'll always have me in this memory. So don't fucking erase it." The girl laughed sadly.

"Look at it, and concentrate on it." Max continued, trying to save the girl she loved for all time.

Chloe did as she was told, and Max watched as a peacefulness crept over her features, her skin growing pale as the colour drained from her. Then she was gone, into the memory that remained on display for Max to see. She turned on Rachel and hit her, then she hit her again and again. The spirit took the blows without fighting back, allowing Max to get it out of her system.

"You. Should. Have. Fucking. Told. Me." Max yelled, hitting it on every word until she fell to the floor crying.

The spirit knelt down beside her and gently stroked her hair, not a single mark on its pristine features. "Max. I don't know what happens next." Rachel said, sitting down beside her. "This is as far as my memories go. From here... you have to find your own way. You have to realise your own potential. Believe me... your powers are so much more than they are right now. Break free."


	21. The Spirit of Free Space

Max opened her eyes in the back of a van, her wrists and ankles chained. She looked around at Rachel and Amelia, who were both chained in the same way. Rachel's eyes were red and puffy from crying, while Amelia looked as though she'd been beaten. Max felt defeated, lost in a stream of bad luck. Chloe was gone, tied to that memory, replaying it over and over so she could be with Max forever. There was nothing else Max could have done, especially with all of their things lost in the battlebus.

"They aren't guarding us?" Max said quietly.

Amelia shook her head. "They don't think you can escape now." She said sadly.

"Do they have my ring?" Mas asked.

"No." Rachel whispered, opening her hand to show Max the ring on her finger. "I couldn't let them take it."

"How the fuck did you manage to hide that?" Amelia hissed.

"That will remain my secret." Rachel smirked, carefully working the ring from her finger.

"You won't be able to get out of those manacles." Amelia said, annoying Max.

"They're going to let me go." Max hissed. Rachel threw the ring carefully to Max, who caught it and put it on her finger, her memory of that moment triggering in her mind. She could feel Chloe's presence pressing against her heart and smiled. _Forever._ She thought, preparing for what was to come.

"Max... what are you..." Rachel started to say, her eyes filled with worry.

She wrenched her arm downward and felt the pain in her left wrist as she broke a bone. She screamed in pain causing a flurry of activity in the cab. The vehicle slowly came to a stop, the back doors were opened and Becker stepped in, eyeing max suspiciously.

"What the fuck did you do?" He demanded, but Max whimpered more, trying to show him her wrist.

He stepped closer to her, close enough for her to grab his keys. She froze time and snapped them off his belt, then went to work undoing her manacles. She felt a steady rhythmn of energy pulsing beside her heart, keeping her refreshed as she ravaged her exhausted body further than ever before. She undid Amelia's and Rachel's manacles too, then dropped out of the back of the truck and looked around the two vehicles they were being transported in. Men were standing around, their weapons drawn as though expecting an attack, but they didn't expect Max to break free.

There was no doubt in her mind as she took weapons from their holsters, aimed the gun and pulled the trigger, all in freeze time. Leaving the guns hanging in midair after she had used them. She found Chloe's body in the back of the second van and executed the man guarding it with two bullets instead of one, seeing her fiancée like that only angered her further. Finally she returned to the first truck, having set in motion the events of killing all of the other guards.

She took Becker's weapon and took two steps back, then allowed time to resume.

Gunshots echoed around the vehicles and Becker looked at her shocked, his hand had instinctively gone for his weapon but Max now had it.

"I fucking told you." Max said. "You... lose." She shot him in the knees and then once more in the head. Finally ridding themselves of Prescott's attack dog.

"You... didn't have to kill him." Amelia said, stunned. "We could have questioned him."

"I'm not keeping this fucking timeline." Max said angrily.

"They burned your bus, you don't have any pictures to return to." Amelia argued, following Max and Rachel out of the truck and onto the street, where all of the guards lay dead.

"And who could have told them to do that?" Max said, shaking her head. "Who could have told Becker where we'd be... or where our battebus was?"

"Max..." Rachel started to say.

"Who lost their entire team and miraculously survived?" She continued, ignoring Rachel.

"She was with me that whole night..." Rachel tried to argue.

"She was also once working for Prescott." Max retorted, aiming the weapon at Amelia.

"Don't be so blinded by loss to kill an ally!" Amelia shouted.

"I told you... I'm not keeping this fucking timeline. I am getting Chloe back, and I don't trust you."

"Fuck Max... no..." Amelia pleaded. Max pulled the trigger without a second thought and Amelia's body crumpled in a heap.

"Oh fuck..." Rachel said, wrapping herself in her arms. "Oh fuck Max... why?"

"They didn't find us until she showed up." Max said, flicking the safety on the weapon and putting it in the back of her waistband, just as Chloe used to do.

"But we can't change time, we can't fix anything!" Rachel argued.

"I can plant an idea, I could find another picture from somewhere. I am going to find a way Rachel." Max said, getting into the second truck.

Rachel pushed her out of the drivers seat, shaking her head. "You can't drive like that... so tell me where we're going."

"Home... again." Max said, looking in the back at the body of the girl she would keep on killing for until she could find a way back to her.

* * *

 

When they finally returned to their land Max was saddened to see the state of their bus. It was still burning away slowly, but their car was intact. Max walked around the bus, hoping to see a sliver of hope among the burned out wreckage, a single photograph that had survived the blaze. It was a pointless endeavour, there was nothing left of their home. Max returned to the blonde, who was leaning against their car, a defeated look in her eyes. She reached out to Max and pulled the brunette into a tight hug where Max felt the starting flood of emotions that would end her crusade to save Chloe.

There was no time for her to mourn, not yet. She pulled away from the blonde and returned to the truck, where the carefully checked Chloe's pockets. She left the ring and the necklace she had gifted her, but took the car keys and wallet. Then gently kissed the punk's forehead and allowed a tear to fall on her face.

"I'm so sorry Max." Rachel cried from behind her. The blonde's face was streaked with tears as she looked on her best friend.

"She's not gone." Max said, using their keys to unlock the car.

"Max... I know you think you can change it but..."

"She's not gone." Max shouted. "I won't believe it, I won't let this be the end!" She yelled, opening the trunk of the car and looking for anything she could use to return to the past. All she could find were clothes in their bags. No pictures had survived the fire. She kicked the tyre of the car and yelled.

"Sweetie... we need to go. They're going to come back here looking for us." Rachel said, gently pulling Max towards the passenger door.

"I'm not giving up." Max said as the blonde managed to push her into the passenger seat.

"If you're not, neither am I." The blonde retorted, slamming the trunk shut.

Max watched as the blonde stopped by the open truck, no doubt saying one last goodbye to her best friend. Max could see the tears in her eyes as she got into the drivers seat, turning the ignition and taking them away from a place they had once thought safe. The pain in Max's wrist was intensifying, but she continued to ignore it. Returning her mind to the memory with Chloe every moment she could, feeling the presence of Chloe so close to her heart refreshed her, kept her focused, kept her moving forwards.

"Where are we going?" Rachel asked.

"We need a laptop, so we can access our accounts." Max said. "And we need a safe place to lay low while I try to find a solution."

"In other words... you want to go into free space?" Rachel glanced sideways at Max.

"I need to. I have to see Chloe..."

"Wait, she's there?" Rachel asked, surprised.

"In a memory of ours, in the past. I... I need to be close to her, so I can think." Max explained sadly.

"How is that possible?"

"It's what I almost did when I... before you brought me back. I wanted to be with Chloe so much I stared at a picture long enough that I could live in that memory. But I didn't do it, I couldn't do it. You saved me from that and now... now Chloe is in there. She's always in my memories... I have to find a way to undo this." Max said, looking out the window at the passing scenery. "Every hour we wait, every day... is less time I have with her. More memories I erase."

"We'll fix it Max. We'll find a way." Rachel said encouragingly.

They found a computer shop in the first town they reached. Rachel slipped inside to make the purchase while Max remained in the car and rest her head against the window. She wanted to sleep and access the free space, but her brain wouldn't shut off. The days events kept going round and round in her head constantly, making her wonder if she could rewind it all away. But it had been hours since the attack, too long for her to rewind away, even with breaks in between.

Rachel returned with a large box in her hands and quickly returned to the drivers seat, storing the box in the back seat. Then they were off again, away from the town closest to their old home. As far as they could get from it to give Max as much safety as she could get. She was actually surprised when they reached Seattle, she'd never expected to return here after so long, despite all of their moving around. It had been a no go zone for Max ever since leaving with Chloe, and the blunette had never suggested it as a destination. She closed her eyes as they passed familiar streets, trying not to remember the memories of leaving but the memory of Las Vegas.

"Come on." Rachel said suddenly. Max opened her eyes, they were in a parking lot outside a hotel.

"Did I fall asleep?" Max asked.

"For a little bit. Come on. Let's go in." Rachel said, holding the passenger door open for Max with the laptop box in her arms.

Max grabbed the bags out of the trunk, knowing it was all they now possessed and would need the change of clothes. She saw the discarded wig in the back seat of the car and snorted at it, afraid to even touch the thing. She followed after the blonde, almost stumbling as she became more tired. All of her power usage was catching up to her, but Rachel was there, holding and helping her towards the elevator.

They got out on there floor, where Rachel took one of the bags yet still helped Max along until they got into their hotel suite. She didn't have chance to look around before Rachel had guided her across the room to the bed and lay her down on it. Peaceful sleep embraced the brunette, swallowing her down into a land without pain or fear. She could have slept for days, weeks even. But she woke with a start when she remembered Chloe was dead, and she had pulled the trigger. As the early morning sunlight broke through the curtains, Max finally fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

 

"Hey Max." Chloe said, waving sadly at the brunette as she opened her eyes.

"You... all along." Max said, wiping a tear from her eyes.

"Yep. Me. You finally worked it out." Chloe sat on the edge of her bed and pat the space beside her.

"You... gave me my powers all along." Max laughed, shaking her head. "You really laid on the theatrics."

"I had to. You... couldn't know it was me." Chloe said sadly. "Causal loop."

"You knew the latin line..."

"Because you told me about it. I watched you die, in my arms. I saw you nicked by the bullet. And after yesterday... that's all I knew."

Max flung herself into the blunette's arms, wanting the warm embrace so badly. "Why Rachel? Why appear to me as her?"

"Subconscious battering ram, make you feel close to her. You needed that connection with her to fight your way forwards babe." Chloe said, kissing Max softly on the lips. "I knew when I would die, because it happened. Everything up until yesterday was my causal loop, a gift from you."

"Rachel's doubts?" Max asked.

"Me. I knew the outcome because of you, so I made it happen again. I said it was you... because I also knew how much you beat yourself up over it. As much as I didn't want to hurt you babe... I had to follow the rules. It's what you believed, and it was the only way you could remember... so you would tell Rachel... who would tell me."

"The storm in Arcadia Bay?"

"Me. My last defiant act through the timeline, a butterfly flapping her wings. I said I wanted to nuke that shit hole into glass."

"My powers?"

"Me... and you." Chloe laughed. "You gave me your gifts, and I gave them back to you."

"And my connection with Rachel? Why?"

"I put a tiny bit of you, in her. So when you died you could come back to me. You did give yourself entirely to me, and when you gave me the power to travel through timelines and see this place... fuck babe you gave me the greatest gift in the world." Chloe gently stroked Max's hair, especially the blue highlight.

"I need a way to save you." Max said. "I need to know how to bring you back."

"You can't Max... I'm... stuck here. You can drift between the timeline and this place, but I can't." Chloe explained. "The battlebus is gone, all our pictures too. You need to be able to let me go."

"That's why you gave me the connection, that's why... the emotions and all that shit?! You wanted me to be happy with somebody, if it couldn't be you?!" Max shouted, hitting Chloe in the chest. "You fucking asshole, you fucking idiot. I can't even look at her without thinking about you!"

"I kept telling you to walk with me in time, because it was important that I could." Chloe said, taking hold of Max's hands.

"But you kept telling me not to get close to her!" Max argued, remembering all of their conversations. "You even argued with yourself!"

Chloe hung her head. "Yeah... when Rachel was here, I was a little jealous because I just wanted time with you. When I was here... I knew the end was coming. And I should have done so much more for you. I was angry with myself, quite literally."

"You called Rachel manipulative." Max said.

"I... was fighting with myself. Have you ever tried having an argument with me? It's a fucking nightmare." Chloe smirked.

"But why tell me one thing... if you wanted... something else?" Max asked.

"If you remembered it... you'd probably ignore it, some stranger telling you what you can and can't do? You'd ignore them! It worked out." Chloe shrugged. "Max... sweetie... take Rachel and run, fuck Sera and her kid, fuck your parents, run! Be happy with Rachel, make your lives worth living away from all this shit and chaos. It has done nothing but cause you pain and I hate seeing you coming back here so full of pain."

"That's your best advice for me? Run? What happened to saving lives?" Max said, finally sitting beside her.

"I died... and I saw how much pain you're going through. I've been through all those free space moments with you, I saw you kicking yourself for something you didn't do. It has ripped me apart having to watch you go through all that."

"I can't... do this without you."

"You can visit me any time now..." Chloe whispered in her ear sadly. "Maybe bring Rachel... we can laugh like old times."

"And live in more memories without you." Max cried. "I... can't do that. I can't look at her without thinking of you. And what about that picture? Our wedding?! What the fuck happened to that dream? To that future?"

"I wanted you to be happy in that moment, to see a bright future where Rachel was there... and I knew you were trying to see if it would change because of her offer."

"You manipulated me too..." Max said angrily.

"She has changed so much because of you Max." Chloe argued. "And I can't be there anymore, to save my memory you had to let me live inside one. So I could survive here, in free space. But you still deserve to be happy, you deserve somebody who is going to light up your life."

"That's you Chloe!" Max said, shaking her head. "You fucking idiot... why didn't you hide a picture? Why didn't you give me better warnings?"

"I couldn't! The rules of free space applied. You couldn't understand what I was saying until you understood it for yourself." Chloe explained. "I didn't make those rules Max, you know I hate fucking rules!"

"I'm not fucking giving up." Max said, shaking her head. "I won't give you up. You said you only remembered up to yesterday. Which means anything I do now, anything I find... you won't know about."

"Max... babe. Please don't do this to yourself, not for me." Chloe pleaded.

"I didn't give you up at the lighthouse. I will not give you up now. Do you understand Chloe Price?" Max stared into Chloe's beautiful blue eyes that were starting to fill with tears.

"You're never going to let me go, are you?" Chloe asked sadly.

"I will break time over and fucking over if it means saving your life." Max said.

Chloe looked down at their hands, at both of their beautiful rings. "If you find a way... bring me here?"

"For you..." Max said, kissing the punk one more time. "I am not giving you up."

"Don't give a girl hope if you can't live up to it." Chloe looked into Max's eyes. "If you can't find a way..."

"I will keep fucking looking. I will push my powers to their limits, I will find a way." Max placed her hands on Chloe's cheeks. "I am not letting you go."

* * *

 

Max woke up slowly, her wrist and head throbbing painfully from yesterday's experiences. She remembered last nights free space perfectly, every word Chloe had said, every fleeting kiss, every nervous glance. She hadn't completely lost her, not yet. Rolling onto her side she looked at the blonde who had slept beside her, a respectable distance away but evidently close enough to hold Max when she needed comfort. Chloe had been trying so hard to give Max another future, another chance at happiness after losing her, and Rachel had been the unfortunate one, thrown into a situation she didn't understand, charged with a role she hadn't asked for.

_Chloe stopped you both from being together to save me... and she finally got a memory of you for one night, because of her own attempts to put us together when she died._ Max shook her head at the craziness of it all. Trying not to laugh at how manipulative her partner had become just to look after Max. _You're an idiot. I hope you know that._ She smiled, thinking of their memory.

She tried to sit up, forgetting about her injury and gasped sharply as the pain shot up her arm. She fell back onto the bed, clutching at her wrist.

"You okay?" Rachel asked, sounding tired.

"Broken wrist, and I tried to use it." Max groaned. "I really need to fix this timeline."

"Any progress on that?" The blonde asked, sitting up and taking hold of Max's wrist gently. The brunette gasped at the pressure.

"Chloe has no idea." Max answered.

"Chloe?" Rachel looked at her curiously.

"She's the spirit in free space." Max said, smiling weakly. "She's been there all along, waiting for her time to die." She shook her head. "I should have done better."

"Oh my God..." Rachel uttered, her eyes wide with shock.

"I have to find a way Rach. I need to..." She said, the tears finally breaking through her resolve to move forward.

"You will." Rachel said, putting her arms around the petite girl as she finally let go and started to cry. "We'll find a way together."

Max broke down with uncontrollable sobs, rendered immobile by the loss of her fiancée. Being able to speak to her had been wonderful, but it only hurt her more as the memory of her death overwhelmed her. The gunshot, the look of shock on Chloe's face. She needed the punk in her arms, needed the smell of her clothes, the touch of her lips. Rachel never let her go, allowing all the time she needed to cry and get the weight of the emotions out of her system.

"What about Chloe's phone picture?" Rachel asked, sitting back against the headboard and pulling Max with her, refusing to release the brunette.

"I couldn't find our phones. I think they took them." Max said, sighing deeply. "I couldn't find my camera either. Did you save any online?" She looked at Rachel, hopeful that the blonde had done something they'd asked her not to do.

Rachel shook her head, dashing Max's hopes. "No pictures of us ever got online after Arcadia Bay."

Max let her head rest on Rachel's chest, listening to her heart just as she used to do with Chloe. "She wants us to run..." She mumbled.

"To just... run? Give up?"

"Yeah. Get as far away from the chaos as possible and live our lives." Max said sadly. "Give up on everybody, let them handle it themselves."

"Why would she say that? How could she give up?" Rachel sounded shocked, upset at Chloe's advice. "What about my Mom?"

"That's what I said... but I think seeing me in free space all those times, tired and defeated, dying... she doesn't want to see me keep going through it." She felt so empty and lost. Her own hopes were dashed, she had no idea how could she ever face Chloe again.

"Then... we're leaving." Rachel whispered sadly. "I promised Chloe if anything were to ever happen to her... I'd look after you."

"What?" Max looked at her, surprised.

"When you fell asleep that night, when Chloe and I finally got our shit straight, we talked. She... she made me promise that if anything were to happen that you couldn't fix, anything at all... she wanted me to be there for you, she wanted me to look after you." Rachel said, gently stroking Max's hair. "I promised Max. I told her I would."

"All this time?" Max asked.

"She always wanted to make sure you had somebody, that you weren't alone." Rachel explained. "I think it was her greatest fear, you losing her."

Max had nothing to say to that. All along Chloe had been making plans to look after Max, she didn't have any powers of her own but she'd done what she could to look after her, and when she did have powers she used Max's powers to traverse the timeline and put everything in place, all of the things Max thought she'd done was down to the punk. Chloe had secretly been playing matchmaker from beyond the grave, which now pissed Max off. _How much that happened was my choice? Is everything really fate? Do I have any power to change these events?_

She rolled away from the blonde, placing her head on a pillow and looked up at the ceiling, thinking of everything that had happened, the unexplainable events that now all made sense. Chloe had discovered a depth to Max's powers even she hadn't considered, she wondered just how much further they could go. She looked at her sapphire ring, feeling the pain in her wrist as she tried to hold her hand out. The sapphires twinkled in the light, teasing her eyes as she could feel her powers connected to them.

Chloe was in those gems as well, staring back at her as she looked into their depths. The ring was part of their memory in Las Vegas, she could see that moment from Chloe's perspective. The blue of Max's eyes and the look on her face.

"What's that?" Rachel said, she had been admiring the ring as well.

"What?" Max asked.

"Below the ring, take it off."

Max did as she was asked and gasped as she saw the blue lines of a tattoo around her finger. The word _Forever_ had been tattoo'd twice around her finger, bordered by a beautiful filigree line. Max choked back a sob. It hadn't been there before today, but she knew it was Chloe leaving a very physical mark on her.

"When did..." Rachel started to say.

"I didn't get a tattoo. If I was going to get any... I'd have covered my scars." Max said, admiring the intricate detail of the artwork.

"You will always have her Max." Rachel said, getting off the bed. "I'll... go and get us a change of clothes from the bags."

She stayed in bed, playing with the ring between her fingers while looking at the tattoo. It was something simple, something small, but it left a wonderful feeling in Max's heart despite what else she was feeling. _You just keep on surprising me._ She thought sadly. _I can't find a solution yet... but I will keep looking. I promise._

* * *

 

After a rushed meal they checked out of the hotel and returned to their car. Rachel was determined to get Max some medical attention now that they'd agreed to run, despite the reservations they were both sharing now that they had reopened their connection. Rachel's sadness was nothing compared to Max's, who tried very hard not to overwhelm the blonde with how she was feeling. It had been Rachel's idea to open the connection again, to allow them both to grieve together and soothe each other like they had done with the Dark Room memories.

Once again Rachel left Max in the car when she went shopping for supplies. She was already formulating plans, thinking to leave the country entirely and go somewhere else, but it would close all chances of finding a picture she could return to. It was her last resort, her final plan if she couldn't find that golden ticket to fix things. Eventually they would need to sell the car and buy another, if Amelia had been feeding Prescott information then he knew the model of their car and its plate number. They were running on borrowed time right now.

Max turned in her seat when Rachel returned and allowed the blonde to strap her wrist.

"You're turning into the Alfred to my Batman." Max smirked.

"Oh no, I'm not going to be some old Butler. You can fuck right off with that." Rachel laughed.

"So what do you want to be? Robin?"

"Catwoman." Rachel grinned. "With the claws. Meow." Max couldn't stop herself from laughing at the silliness. "I am a Leo."

"I am aware, we did just celebrate your birthday."

They sat in silence for a moment while the blonde concentrated on doing her job, ensuring the bandage was tight enough.

"I'll never replace her Max." Rachel said sadly as she finished strapping the brunette's wrist. "Just like you can't replace her for me."

"I know Rach." Max nodded, smiling weakly.

"Okay... let's get moving." She blonde said, wiping a tear from her eye and throwing the spare bandage onto the back seat. It hit the seat with a strange thump, making both girls look round for the source of the noise. Rachel stared in disbelief, but Max was already reaching through the gap between their seats for the blonde wig. She threw it aside and whooped happily, banging her head on the roof of the car as her emotions got the better of her.

"No fucking way..." Max shouted, reaching for her digital camera. It had been hidden beneath the wig this whole time.

She turned it on and sat back down in her seat, searching through all of the most recent pictures for just one of her. Just one she could go back into and fix her mistake. Rachel was leaning over her, watching the pictures flash by as Max scrolled through them. All of the files from the penthouse, some silly ones of Chloe in the car before the job. Then Max found it, her golden ticket. Max and Chloe in the battlebus before they'd left, she was wearing the stupid wig and Chloe's hair was black, but they looked so happy.

Before Max could start the process of the photo jump, Rachel snatched the camera away.

"Give it back!" Max yelled, reaching for the camera.

"No... listen." Rachel said, awkwardly trying to keep the camera away from the brunette. "Fucking... LISTEN!" Rachel yelled.

"No... I need to fix this." Max shouted.

"You need to look at the files first, you need to remember as much of it as possible." Rachel argued. "Everything we went through was for those files and when you change time these pictures will be gone."

Max scowled at Rachel, she knew the blonde was right, but she wanted Chloe back far more than some pictures that were obviously bait. "Five minutes..." Max muttered. "And if we find nothing... I am fixing this." She crossed her arms and allowed the blonde to start going through the files.


	22. Resetting the Pieces

While Max lay on her front on the bed looking through the pictures of the files on the laptop, Rachel was pacing the hotel room the'd checked into. Max had wanted the camera back but they'd had difficulty reading the small text on the digital cameras screen, forcing her to wait longer before she could save Chloe. Rachel had taken them to another hotel, checked them in and Max had snatched the camera and laptop and got to work looking at the pictures. It was a tedious and boring job, especially when she only wanted to save her fiancée.

"I haven't seen anything new." Max said, clicking onto the next picture.

"What do they all say?" Rachel asked, sitting beside Max and placing a hand on the small of her back.

"Basic information. Name, age, all that shit. School grades, teacher reports. Then the stuff about essence. Everybody they managed to... _register_..." The word sounded so wrong to Max. "Has an essence score. Yours is the highest, four times their estimates for everybody else. They never got mine or Chloe's, so they're marked with question marks." She opened up the different picture files to show Rachel.

"What's this part say?" Rachel asked, pointing to the file about her.

Max leaned a little closer to the screen, trying to read the blurred image. She hadn't done a very good taking this picture, some of text was cut off. "Something about a lab." She said.

"Does it say where?" Rachel leaned in, her cheek pressed against Max's as they read the information, trying to make sense of it.

"No... that bit's cut off. But it says something similar on mine." Max clicked over to her own file and pointed out the piece at the bottom. "There."

"So... they have Blackwell to observe students and a lab to... what?"

"Run tests." Max answered sadly. "They want to find out what makes essence work, what makes... somebody like me. But..." She laughed quietly to herself.

"What's so funny?" Rachel asked, turning her head to look at Max.

Max looked at Rachel and smiled. "They're looking at it in the wrong way."

"How do you know?"

"Because... I remember my conversation with Chloe in free space. I remember the answers she gave me. It's been at the back of my mind for a while now, but essence isn't what they think it is. My powers..." She looked at the ring on her finger and the hint of the tattoo below it. "My powers are a... causal loop. For me to have my powers, I needed to have my powers. Had I decided to give up Chloe in Arcadia, I'd never have had the power to begin with."

"That is... a fucking headache." Rachel said, shaking her head at the explanation.

"Essence isn't a power, it's life. Everybody but you had similar measurements." Max said, quickly clicking through all of the other files. "Nobody registered as high."

"But why? Am I just... more emotional?" Rachel asked.

"I have a theory but..." Max looked at the blonde sadly.

"You're about to erase this timeline." Rachel nodded with a sad smile. "Don't waste time explaining it to me now..." She said quietly. "Tell me... when you tell Chloe."

"Rach..." Max rolled onto her side to look at the blonde a little easier. "I won't undo your life, or that night together..." Max whispered, gently stroking the blonde's cheek.

"Just answer me one thing..."

"Anything."

"My offer... to be closer with you and Chloe... would it have happened? Or was it wishful thinking?"

Max was torn. The truth would hurt the girl, a lie would allow her to be happy before Max changed the timeline. Either way she wouldn't remember, but breaking the heart of somebody you cared about wasn't something she wanted to do, but she didn't want to lie either, Max would remember her own answer and the reaction of the girl in front of her.

"Rach..." Max said quietly, leaning in a little closer to the blonde. She whispered the answer in her ear.

* * *

 

 _I don't cause paradoxes. The tornado wasn't me._ She repeated over and over as she paced the room, the picture was on the laptop screen. Chloe's black hair and Max in that awful wig. This would be the first time she was actually breaking the timeline, to create a new one, since William's death and the Dark Room with Jefferson. Everything else had been loops, closing something she'd already done. There was no doubt about that now, even their stock market job had been part of a larger loop. Chloe's. Max was about to redirect events, but she knew the free space was safe from the alteration, it wasn't part of the timeline.

"You okay?" Rachel asked, sitting with her back against the head board.

"Working up to it, planning my steps, everything I need to do." Max answered.

"We've been over it. You need to find a picture before Amelia called us."

"I know... but my polaroid had been playing up, I was fixing it when she showed up." This is why she was so nervous, the last time she knew for a fact she'd used the polaroid was when she had sat in Rachel's lap before their strange night, and she'd promised the blonde she wouldn't destroy that memory.

"Max... find your digital camera, find one of the laptops, or find a picture before Amelia called us. One of those three things should work. Get Chloe to help, get me to help. Just yell that it's a photo jump." Rachel explained for the third time.

"What if Amelia tries to interfere?" Max asked.

"Shoot her in the leg?" Rachel smirked. "Or kill her again? I mean... if you're planning to do a jump within a jump, it won't matter, right?"

"I hope fucking not." She mumbled, looking at the picture on the screen.

"Are you sure you can do this from a laptop? Doesn't it have to be a polaroid?"

"Back during the Dark Room shit... I jumped back using a picture they'd hung on the wall. As long as it's a picture of me... I can do it." Max said confidently.

Rachel got off the bed and took hold of Max's hands, a strange look in her hazel eyes. They looked into each others eyes, their connection open so they could feel the ebb and flow of their emotions. Rachel really had got her ability to soothe Max through the connection mastered, her nerves were slipping away, encompassed by the confidence of the blonde before her.

"You've got this, okay?" The girl smiled, gently squeezing Max's hands. "Save our girl... I know you can do it."

"I'll see you soon." Max smiled, kissing the blonde on the cheek and kneeling down before the laptop. She focused on the picture, remembering the moment it was taken. The laughter they had shared as Max tried on that stupid wig and Chloe had decided to take a picture of them. She could hear Chloe teasing her, calling her a blonde bombshell, a tease and then finally... she was there.

* * *

 

"Come on Max, you have to wear the wig." Chloe laughed, putting the camera on the bed as she tried to straighten the wig. They were both sat on their bed, but Max acted before her brain fully engaged, kissing the love of her life with the most passionate kiss in the world. Cherishing the taste of Chloe's lips and the touch of her black hair. All other thoughts were struck from her mind for that single moment of being with her once more.

"Whoa..." Chloe smirked as they finally pulled apart. "What's got..."

"We don't have long." Max quickly said, shaking her head and putting her finger to her lips. "I've just used a photo jump, and this was the only one I had in the bus."

"The only one? Max what do you mean?" Chloe said, pushing the bedroom door closed to give them some privacy.

"We were ambushed, shit went south, we lost everything." She held Chloe's beautiful face and looked her square in the eyes. "Everything, Chloe."

"Oh fuck... Max, what do I need to do?" Chloe asked.

"We need to find another picture, right now. Something before we met Amelia." Max said, already getting to her feet and looking for her polaroids from the last few days, throwing the wig across the room so it wouldn't annoy her further.

"Are we going to hide it or?" Chloe asked, getting to her feet.

"No." Max turned back to Chloe and grabbed her hands. "I have to do a jump within a jump, it has to be now."

"Why not just avoid the mission?" Chloe said, reaching across the bed for the camera and handing it to Max.

"Because I don't trust Amelia." Max whispered. "I've just shot her in the last timeline, but..."

"But what? Who died Max?" Chloe demanded.

"You did." Max said, trying to hold back the emotions.

The bedroom door opened and Rachel suddenly appeared, worry etched across her features. "What's wrong? What's happened? Why are you...?"

Chloe once again closed the door and Max pulled the blonde into a hug. "We need a picture... before Amelia showed up. Keep her busy?"

"Okay... tell me in...?" Both girls looked at Max, to confirm when the brunette's mind would return to the present.

"Two days." Max said, knowing this timeline was still about to be erased as soon as she got the photo she needed.

"See you soon then." Rachel smiled, leaving the two girls in the bedroom.

"We need to hurry... I don't have long." Max said, looking through the pictures in the camera with Chloe hovering over her shoulder.

"That one!" Chloe said, pointing at one of the images before Max could go past it. "We took it that morning."

Max looked at the timestamp, then wrapped an arm around her gorgeous fiancée. "Digital cameras and timestamps." She laughed happily. "Thank you Chloe, for my awesome camera."

"You said that already." The blunette smirked and kissed Max sweetly. "Now hurry..."

"Way ahead of you." Max smirked, looking into the image.

It was a rare picture, taken when they woke up in bed together in the early hours with their bare shoulders on show over the top of the covers. Chloe had been kissing her shoulder, a teasing twinkle in her eyes as she looked into the camera for Max. Just as before she could hear them giggling, Chloe refusing to have the picture taken at first only to relent when Max told her it was for their scrapbook.

* * *

 

"What the fuck?" Chloe whispered.

"What?" Max asked, looking around the bedroom. It was early morning, she had the camera in her hand. She flipped it over and could see the wonderful picture they'd taken on the display screen. But something felt wrong, something felt off about the world.

"I think I'm with you." Chloe said, sitting up carefully.

"Of course you're with me." Max said, looking at the blunette curiously.

"No I mean..." Chloe looked round at Max and laughed. "I was holding you when you used the photo. I'm... here."

"Oh... shit." Max muttered. "We don't have long... we need to warn Rachel." She said, throwing back the covers and pulling on some clothes. Chloe was slightly quicker, already opening the door as she pulled her shirt down her chest.

"Rach... get up." Chloe said. Max exited the bedroom to see Chloe kneeling beside the sleeping blonde, rocking her gently to try to get her to wake up. "Rach..." She said again.

Max rushed across the room and joined Chloe on the bed. "Rach... we need you." She said.

"Summatter now?" Rachel said, rolling over and looking at the two girls through half closed eyes. "I don't want a morning grope..." The girl said, rolling back over.

"Rachel! Get up!" Max shouted, they didn't have the time to let the girl wake up normally.

"Fuck Max..." The blonde rolled onto her back again and stared at her grumpily. "What?"

"I'm in a photo jump, the second one." Max explained. "We cannot meet the contact today, we need to move instead."

"Why didn't you just tell Chloe?" Rachel said, rubbing her eyes. "She's our driver, and she'd tell me anyway."

"Because I'm in the jump with Max." Chloe said, shrugging her shoulders. "Accident."

"Oh fuck... so I have to try to persuade both of you?!" Rachel grumbled. "Alright... fuck. So we ignore the contact and we leave. Anywhere you want to go?"

"Anywhere but here." Max said. "I'll know you've done it when I go back."

"And so will I. So make sure you do it!" Chloe said, pushing the blonde gently. "I won't remember anything when I snap back so..."

"How long until you return?" Rachel asked. Max smiled at how understanding the blonde was and kissed her on the forehead.

"Four days from now. It's when we planned to do the penthouse raid." Chloe answered, taking hold of Rachel's hand. "You have to make sure we're safe."

"I will." Rachel smiled, kissing Chloe's hand.

"Good luck." Max said as she felt herself being pulled away from that moment in time.

* * *

 

Once more Max had to look around the room to get her bearings. Chloe was absent from the bedroom but she soon realised why, the bus swerved unnervingly, followed by shouts and yells from the front of their vehicle. She jumped off the bed and through the bedroom door to find Rachel leaning over Chloe, a hand on the wheel of the bus.

"Okay... we said four days!" Chloe shouted. "Why am I driving the day I come back?!"

"Because you were adamant it would be fine..." Rachel said, releasing the wheel and sitting back down. "And I stupidly let you."

"That could have been fatal." Max said, approaching the two girls. Chloe's hair was back to being blue, confirming that they weren't going to the penthouse job.

"No shit..." The blunette muttered.

"Rachel, fill us in quickly." Max asked, kneeling on the dining table seat behind her fiancée, her hands on the girl's shoulders.

"We didn't make the meet, and I warned them off on the phone. You and Chloe didn't understand why, but I did tell you I was following instructions from future... you. They seemed to accept something was up when I explained Chloe had photo jumped too. Are you going to explain that? Am I going to need to worry about Chloe driving now?"

"No... I'm from this moment. Max is from further ahead." Chloe answered.

"How much further?" Rachel asked.

"Two days. So make sure we're safe, please? I don't want to wake up to bullets, or a fight." Max pleaded. "I can't lose Chloe again."

"We'll stay on the move." Chloe nodded. "Until you're back with us properly."

"Thank you." Max said, wrapping her arms around Chloe's neck and kissing her ear. "When I'm back... we need to talk." She whispered gently.

"Talk or... talk talk?" Chloe said, a smirk pulling at her pretty lips.

"Both." Max smiled.

"I am still here you know." Rachel laughed.

"And we'll need to talk too." Max said, looking at the blonde. "Because there's a lot to discuss."

"We'll be waiting." Chloe smiled.

"I'll see you soon." Max held on to Chloe as she was once again pulled away.

* * *

 

Max refused to open her eyes, afraid of what she would see. There was no sound of the engine, no laughter from the two girls she cared about, but she was comfortable and she was in bed. It felt exactly as she remembered it. She hesitantly opened her eyes and saw Chloe lying beside her, her eyes closed and her breathing deep. Unlike her first photo jump, Max decided not to jump the girl and wake her up. She watched her instead, a great feeling of relief settling into her stomach that she had successfully saved her life. The last two days had been a nightmare and she once again had the memories of something that never happened, an event she had managed to erase, just like her time in the Dark Room. She couldn't tell which memory was worse, in both of them Chloe had died and she'd been alone.

Propping herself up on her elbow she sweetly played with Chloe's blue hair, hooking strands over the girl's ear so she could see her face better. Chloe stirred, blinking rapidly as she woke up to Max's smiling face.

"Has it happened yet?" Chloe asked, suppressing a yawn.

"Yeah. Future Max is back." Max whispered, gently tracing Chloe's cheek bone with her index finger.

"You never gave us a time." Chloe smiled sadly. "Beta-Max just... spent all day in my arms waiting."

"Was she okay?" Max asked, thinking of the other Max who just got overwritten.

"She understood, because I explained that you'd lost me. She said... she was glad she didn't have to go through all that, and to thank you for giving her a peaceful couple of days." Chloe moved closer to Max and pulled her into a tight hug, shocking the brunette out of her thoughts.

She wrapped Chloe in her arms, finding the excitement and energy that she had buried to let the girl sleep. It was as though she was alive again, her emotions were raging at her. She kissed Chloe's lips over and over, pinning the girl on her back so she could straddle her.

"Calm down." Chloe said, gently prising them apart. "You need to tell me what happened."

"I told you..." Max said, sitting up gently so she could look down at her partner. "You died, they burned our bus. I lost everything Chloe."

"What about Rachel?" Chloe asked.

"She helped me, she looked after me while I looked for a way to save you. But there's so much more yet..." Max said, dropping back down onto Chloe and kissing her nose.

"How much more?" Chloe looked at her curiously, her hands on the top of Max's legs.

"Are you ready for... the worst part?"

"There's a part worse than death?" Chloe looked worried, concerned.

Max held the blunette's cheeks and looked her square in the eyes. "To save you... or what I could of you... we were in my free space, and there was something I could do. To save you in there."

"So... why didn't you do it?" Chloe asked sadly. "You know I'd never leave you alone."

"We did do it." Max answered. "There's a part of you there now, you've been there all along. My guardian angel through the past few months. I remember... everything from free space now."

"Everything?"

"Mhm... every time I returned there, whether I wanted to or not, you were there waiting for me. You looked after me, left me cryptic messages, calmed me. Chloe Price, even beyond the grave you were there for me."

"So... I won't be there now right? I'm not dead." Chloe said, looking at Max for answers.

"Free space is... out of time. It's not in the timeline." Max sighed sadly. "If we go there now, you're probably still there waiting for me."

"You want to... visit the other me?" Chloe asked.

"With you. Yes. Because..." She wiped a tear from her eyes, she'd not even admit this next bit to herself until now. "I pulled the trigger Chloe. I shot you. I thought I could kill Becker and..."

Chloe quickly wrapped her arms around Max and held the sobbing girl in her arms. "It wasn't your fault." She whispered.

"I should have practiced shooting more, taken the shot from further away... I should never have risked your life like that." Max mumbled into Chloe's neck, her tears trickling from her face.

"I'm here now, and you saved me in that timeline too." Chloe said softly. "You let me stay with you, you let me protect you. It's all I ever want to do, it's all I ever want Max."

"You have no idea what you've had to do for me..." Max nuzzled into the girl's neck, trying to dispel the pain she was feeling.

"Then tell me..." Chloe answered. "Show me."

Max nodded, accepting Chloe's request. She had no idea how it worked to pull the girl into her free space, so far it had all been accidental but today she had to actually try to bring Chloe with her. She felt the depths of her mind closing in around them as they lay embraced on the bed, refusing to let go of one another again.

* * *

 

"There she is!" Chloe laughed, clapping her hands from her bed. They were back in Chloe's bedroom in Arcadia Bay, but the one on the bed had a single strand of blue hair instead of the full head of it. She'd also removed her beanie and lay relaxed on the bed.

"As... requested." Max smiled, turning to the Chloe standing beside her. "Two Chloe's... oh what am I letting loose on the world." She laughed, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"So... awkward." Chloe said, clapping her hands and looking at the spirit of herself on the bed.

"You have no idea..." Spirit-Chloe laughed. "You going to look after our girl?"

"Would I do anything else?" Chloe asked, crossing her arms.

"No." The spirit smiled. "Because I know exactly what you would do to protect her."

Max pulled Chloe to sit beside her on the bed, closing the distance between the two different timeline Chloe's. Her left hand felt warmer, causing her to look in surprise as the tattoo beneath her ring disappeared gradually.

"What...?" Max started to say.

"It was an... echo of another timeline." The spirit smiled. "We couldn't afford the ring in that one, so you got a tattoo instead. I thought you may appreciate it while you kept looking for your solution."

"How did you do that?" Max asked, amazed at what the spirit had learned.

"It was an echo, it was never going to last but... I wanted you to know that we always ended up together as long as I did what I did." The spirit placed a hand on Max's left.

It was like a lightning bolt striking her twice from both sides. The energy of the spirit on her left hand, the energy of Chloe on her right. She looked at the two girls, confused, afraid. They couldn't let go of one another, they were all locked together as the energy rushed between them.

"Well done Max..." The spirit laughed, leaning in and kissing the brunette, then she was gone. Max gasped, afraid that she'd lost her Chloe again, when the real one pulled her into a warm embrace, kissing her on the lips just as the spirit had done.

"What happened?" Max asked sadly, the fear pulling at her insides.

"We were the same person." Chloe said, holding Max tightly. "So... when we were connected by you. I put myself back together." The blunette laughed. "I have her memories, I have the memories of dying and living... of..." She closed her eyes and pulled away from Max momentarily.

"Chloe..." Max said, frightened.

"Of everything I have done for you." Chloe held Max's hands tightly and stared into her eyes. "She did the right thing Max. I did the right thing."

"You better not leave me again." Max squeezed her partners hands. "I can't go on without you Chloe. I... can't."

"Our future isn't written." Chloe whispered, inching closer to Max, gently brushing their lips together. "But I... am going to marry you, Maxine Caulfield." Max smiled before Chloe pressed their lips together. All the weight of her fears, doubts and pain got lost in that beautiful moment, a moment outside of the timeline. Forever theirs as Chloe moved her partner further onto the bed so they could lie comfortably in each others arms.

* * *

 

Chloe wrapped her arms around Max's slim form and kissed her passionately as the brunette came round from their free space time. Her nerves were tingling and her senses felt thick but the pressure of Chloe's body against her own soon pulled her out of the groggy feeling. Max never realised just how much she had missed the blunette, but Chloe's overwhelming need for Max told her just how much more the punk had been through while trapped in free space.

Max soon lost her shirt as her partner allowed a ferocity to take over her senses. Whatever was driving Chloe's desires and lust wasn't about to be stopped by Max, but neither was Max interested in stopping her. She'd been without Chloe for a day, while Chloe... Max didn't know. She had no idea how time translated in free space, no idea if Chloe was even aware of how long she had lived within those memories.

"Everything okay?" Rachel called through the door. Max opened her mouth to respond but Chloe beat her to it.

"Having couple time... hope you don't mind?" She called back, releasing Max from her clutches for a moment.

"As in... close the connection, put on loud music and hope you don't wake the neighbours?" Rachel sounded as though she was suppressing a laugh.

"Bingo." Chloe shouted, looking back to Max who was still on her back, topless, staring at the lust in Chloe's blue eyes.

"Yeah... have fun." They heard Rachel say before Chloe returned her lips to Max's stomach and her hands to the button on Max's jeans.

Max's jeans were soon thrown callously across the room, but she stopped the blunette from going any further and gently pulling the punks face back up to her own. Chloe removed her vest top while she had time. Max's hands went to the bra clasp on the punk's back and released the straps, Chloe pressed her body against Max's and the two kissed again.

When they were both completely undressed beneath the covers, Max was finding difficulty in focusing on any one part of the blunette's body. She was trying to memorise every part of her, enjoy every part of her, but the punk wouldn't let her focus. She was enjoying teasing Max far too much, but the brunette couldn't fault her, wouldn't ask her to stop. She needed the intimacy, craved the connection between them. She bit her bottom lip and tried not to gasp.

* * *

 

"We've had no further contact with the traveler." Sean said to the Council, his hands clasped in front of him on his desk. "Becker remains at the hotel but we have seen no signs of suspicious activity."

"Curious..." The synthetic voice said, scaring Prescott. If the Chairman was confused apart something, it didn't bode well. "You are certain there have been no... visits to your penthouse? No strange vehicles leaving the scene?"

"No sir. We've been watching the area closely." Sean answered, waiting for one of the council members to jump in and berate him for a failure.

"Then they may have found a way to access your penthouse without tripping your security measures." The Chairman said, there was no emotional inflection evident in the synthetic voice. He didn't know how to take this statement. "No matter. If they have managed to find the information they may not have evidence of our actions, Federal Law Enforcement won't be a problem, yet."

"How are we to proceed?" Sean asked.

"Withdraw Becker from your hotel, reposition him at the lab. We need to stay ahead of them, which will not be easy with a time traveler. What is the status of the cargo?"

"It is at the lab. We have not unboxed it yet, as per your orders." One of the council members said, sounding nervous.

"Good. Continue to run the tests on the system at Blackwell. We need the system fully operational by September." The Chairman said.

"Yes, Chairman." The council said in unison.

Sean closed the connection and ran his hands over his head. He knew something wasn't going to plan, but he still had no idea who was managing to sneak spies into his estate. Time and again he was failing to unravel the mystery, but their failure to send their message to Rachel Amber was annoying. Until the girls knew of Sera's predicament they would still be loose, he had no ace card to hold over their heads.

He had to find a way to get the message to them. _Caulfield._ He thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd just like to thank everybody that has stuck with this story after Chapter 17. I know it wasn't for everybody, I know it caused some upset. But if you read past those chapters and are still with me on this journey, I thank you. I can't express how appreciative I am for the kind words I received in the comments after that chapter, from Pricefielders especially! Your faith in my writing and acceptance of that part of the story means a lot to me.
> 
> So in the last chapter, The Spirit of Free Space, you all got some answers. At last! Hopefully this one didn't come out of left field and you have a few more. If you think the mystery is over though, I'm sorry to say you're wrong. The Chairman, the Council and Prescott are still out there.
> 
> I'm still working on chapters every two days, due to RL circumstances I'm able to dedicate quite a bit of time to this hobby at the moment, but it could change at a moments notice. I will keep you wonderful people updated in any notes though. Hopefully you've all enjoyed this chapter and what it has to offer to the story as a whole. Go back and read the others too! I challenge you to spot the moments Spirit-Chloe's personality came out throughout the Free Space moments ;)
> 
> Thanks again everybody!


	23. A New Power

Max and Chloe left the privacy of their bedroom fully dressed sometime in the evening, a sheepish look on Max's face as Rachel looked up from a book she was reading. The blonde merely smiled and shook her head, putting a bookmark in the pages and placing the book to one side. Chloe was grinning like the cat who had got the cream, a bright happiness shining through her blue eyes.

Chloe sat in the corner seat of the dining table, then Max sat across her lap, sliding her backside between Chloe's legs and the seat back so they could hold hands and remain close. They knew what was coming next, they had a lot of things to tell the other girl in their lives and it wasn't going to be an easy story, but before Max could start Rachel spoke first.

"We are on another plot of land... ours. I bought it a few of days ago under another trust name, which hopefully means if they tracked down our old place they won't find this one. It's actually larger than the last one, but it was the closest to Seattle that I could buy without raising a red flag. Money is still stable, no major problems, no major losses. You haven't got to make any subtle edits to the timeline to help us." The blonde smirked at Max's raised eyebrows. "Kristine has been asking why we waved off the mission, but I've told her we'll let her know when we know, as the traveler was abroad. She's still bugging us once a day but now that you're back hopefully we'll have some answers. We also picked up the car we'd bought, it's currently beneath your feet. Chloe is becoming an excellent chef, and... that's all I know."

Max smiled and nodded happily at the efficiency the blonde was showing. "Did you rehearse that?" She asked.

"Every fucking word, it was a pain in the ass." Rachel laughed.

"It showed." Max smirked. "Who should go next?" She asked, looking at her wonderful partner.

"I will." Chloe smiled, squeezing Max's hand. "You have slightly more information than me now... I think."

"But yours is the most shocking." Max said, resting her head on Chloe's shoulder.

"Still... I'll go next. Get it out of the way." Chloe kissed Max's head gently and looking across the table at Rachel.

"Alright?" Rachel said, looking between the two girls, confused.

"I died in Max's timeline. She... shot me by accident trying to kill somebody else." Chloe said, cutting straight to the point. Rachel looked at Max shocked, but Chloe shook her head. "It wasn't her fault. Then she was knocked out, and pulled into free space, with me." Chloe took a deep breath and put an arm around Max. "I was dying, so she did the only thing she could think of to save me. She taught me how to live in a memory."

"But... how do you remember this if..." Rachel started to ask.

"We went to free space when Max snapped back... Max's powers acted as a link so I could come back to myself. I have all the memories of this timeline, and up until I died and... free space itself." Chloe shrugged. "Information overload right?"

"At least you're alive!" Rachel smiled happily.

"I owe you an apology Rach, and an explanation." Chloe continued. "It wasn't Max who made you doubt what we had. It was me. It was the only way to save Max, so I did it and I placed a piece of Max in your heart, the piece that tethered you. That let you... revive her when she died."

"That was you?!" Rachel said, sitting back in shock.

"It was me. I had to... keep Max alive. My death was one big fucking causal loop. I'm so sorry I put you through that, and connected you to Max on such an emotional level..."

"Why did you tether us?" Rachel asked, her eyes locked on Chloe. "Why put us through all that emotional pain?"

"Apart from having already done it?" Chloe smiled weakly.

"Apart from that... you would have had a reason."

"Because I was dead, and I wanted Max to have somebody who would care about her as much as I did." Chloe wiped a tear from her eyes with her free hand. "You were both already so close, I figured... where was the problem matchmaking you? She couldn't have me anymore and..."

"You manipulated us." Rachel said sadly. "I thought it was... a real connection. Something special..."

"Rach... it is special." Max said, reaching an arm across the table for the blonde to take her hand. Rachel took Max's hand without reservation, squeezing her fingers. "It's special because we make it special, not because we were forced to have it."

"I made you promise, long before I knew I'd do this... I asked you to look after her, to keep her safe." Chloe said. "I needed to know she'd have somebody Rach, because without us..."

"I'd have nobody." Max said sadly, now wiping a tear from her own eye. "I couldn't return to my parents. I'd be alone."

Rachel slid around the table along the booth seat and hugged Max as well, her chin on the petite girls shoulder. "It's okay Max." The blonde said gently.

"I'm really sorry Rach, I shouldn't have..." Chloe started to say.

"It's fine." Rachel answered quickly. "Don't apologise. I... can't blame you for wanting to look after her, even from beyond the grave."

"But I shouldn't have..." Chloe tried to continue.

"Chloe..." Rachel looked at her sternly. "It's fine. You've given me a friend I can rely on, that I can be completely open with and she doesn't run away. Somebody who will understand how I'm feeling, because I can let her into my heart. So don't apologise for giving me such a gift."

Chloe smiled and gently pressed her head against Rachel's, who accepted the contact between them. "I'm lucky to be back... that Max had somebody so she didn't fall into despair. So she could save me again."

Max nuzzled Chloe's cheek to get her attention and smiled when the blunette gave her a quick peck on the lips. She still had her own story to tell, despite wanting to hear more of Chloe's time in the free space. There was also something else she wanted, as there was now a noticable difference on her left hand, but there was no way she was getting it today.

"So Max... your story." Rachel said, remaining beside the two girls now that she was close to them.

"This is... the hardest part to tell. You already know Chloe died, well that was after we raided Prescott's hotel. His henchman gave us a message there. Rach..." Max held the girl tightly as she worked up to telling her this news. "They have your Mom, Sera. As well as your half sister."

"I... have a sister?" Rachel asked, surprised.

"Yeah... and neither of you told me about Sera, ever. So it came as a pretty big shock to me too." Max looked at Chloe, who gave her a weak smile as the two of them remembered their fight before Chloe's life was lost.

"We need to save them." Rachel said. "We can't leave them with Prescott."

"And we will... but he doesn't know we've received the message now, at least I hope not." Max said, trying to straighten the timelines in her head. "He won't do anything to her while he can't manipulate us. But... there's more, a lot more."

"Go on." Chloe said, encouragingly.

"They're chasing you for the wrong reasons." Max said with a smirk. "We still had the pictures from the penthouse, and we went through them together. But I'd also spoken to Chloe... about that piece of me she gave you?"

"Okay?" Rachel said curiously.

"Chloe gave you that little gift long before you ever went into the Dark Room. They probably registered part of my... life force with you."

"So essence is... life force basically?" Rachel looked to Chloe, who nodded.

"We all have it, all need it. When Max and I..." Cloe smirked. "When Max gave herself to me, she gifted me some of herself, just like I've gifted some of myself to her. We're... bound, forever." Max smiled at Chloe's use of words. "Well because I was in your mind, planting that doubt, I left a little bit of Max behind, which would then be used..."

"To bring her back to life." Rachel smiled, understanding what she was being told. "I... basically carried a little piece of you?"

Max nodded happily. "And you gave it me back, which is what brought me back to life."

"A causal loop." Chloe nodded. "All of us, together."

"But it's over now." Max said. "The loop is closed, it's done. Everything from here is up to us, we have to make our own fate. There's no spirit teasing me forwards, just what we have now."

"Your powers do go deeper though Max. I... don't know how far but... babe, you're still only scratching the surface." Chloe smirked.

"How do you know?" Rachel asked.

"I felt... as though Max hadn't quite tapped into something? Like... she was just scratching off what she already knew? It's... fucking hard to explain now." The punk explained, her hand never leaving Max's.

"Then I'll just keep practising." Max smiled.

"So essence is life force? Just normal human energy?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, except Max's would probably be stronger because..." Chloe looked at Max.

"Time Traveler." Max nodded. "I have the cool gifts."

"So... really they should be after you?" Rachel laughed. "Yet they keep trying to kill you."

"So they're obviously not as smart as we're giving them credit for, they just have a lot of guesses." Max said, leaning into Chloe.

"We need to kick ass." Chloe said, holding the brunette close to her body. "We need to stop them coming after us."

"I need to practice." Max whispered.

"And we need to eat." Rachel said. "I'm cooking." She kissed both of the girls on the head and slid out from behind the table.

"We could still run..." Chloe offered quietly. "You haven't got to..."

"I won't run babe. I can't." Max replied, kissing Chloe's neck. "But I need you by my side. I need you." She said. "If you want to go..."

"We won't run." Chloe smiled, turning her head so she could kiss Max on the lips. "I'm with you, forever."

"And I'm getting that tattoo..." Max smirked at Chloe, who grinned happily at this news. "Tease."

"I try." Chloe said just before Max kissed her again.

* * *

 

Despite everything they had discussed the day before none of them had any idea where to start this time. They knew the penthouse would be a bust and came at a cost, but without the location of the lab they only had its very cryptic name to go by. Max had held them off from contacting Kristine again, worried about the possibility of a traitor within her group, namely Amelia Holden. She'd killed her once before, but with Max's correction of the timeline the woman would still be alive and well. She felt indecisive, lost between one event and another as she tried to recover from her loss.

Even as she watched Chloe running through the grass with the ball in hand, Max still felt the grief of losing her wonderful partner the way she did. It had been her finger on the trigger, her bullet that had taken away the one person that meant everything to her. It was an obstacle she was struggling to get over, and it had started to show in her concentration and her emotional tether with Rachel. She was supposed to be freezing time and switching places with Chloe again, but it slipped her mind and Chloe's soft ball bounced off her head.

"What's up?" Chloe asked, running over to her as Rachel looked on from one of their fold out chairs.

"I... got distracted." Max answered, picking up the blue ball.

"That's not it." Chloe said, taking her by the shoulders and looking into her eyes. "What's up?"

"Just distracted." Max smiled weakly, holding out the ball. "Memories." She shrugged as Chloe took the ball from her.

"Memories... huh?" Chloe looked her in the eyes and she knew she wasn't going to get away with only a half truth.

"Of you. Killing you." Max said, looking away.

"We went over this babe." Chloe said, stroking her cheek. "Not your fault. I'm still here because of you."

"But you weren't here... because of me too."

"Hey..." Chloe whispered, gently putting an arm around Max. "I am here, now, with all my memories because of you. You didn't give up and you kept going." Chloe kissed her on the nose but never released her from her grip. "Would you like to take a break for today?"

"We have to practise." Max answered, wrapping her arms around Chloe's waist.

"We can't practise if you can't concentrate." The punk said, slowly releasing Max and taking her hand. She started pulling the brunette towards the bus.

Max dug in her heels and pulled Chloe back into a sweet kiss, taking the opportunity while she could. Chloe displayed no resistance to the affection, holding Max tightly as they tasted each others lips. "A little longer..." Max whispered as their lips broke apart. "We need to practice."

Chloe nodded, a smile on her face, before they parted and returned to her place on the patch of grass they had been practising on. Max returned to her own place, thinking of the punk girl she had in her life.

"Ready?!" Chloe called out, a playful smile on her face.

Max never realised how much Chloe loved these practice sessions, but it was definitely starting to show. "Ready!" She shouted back, grinning as the weight of the memory eased away gradually. She could feel Rachel in her emotions, soothing her again. _Thank you Rach._

"GO!" Chloe shouted, throwing her ball towards Max. Max threw her own towards Chloe at the same time and activated her freeze.

She started running across the frozen landscape towards her beautiful partner when something unexpected happened, something new. Chloe disappeared from in front of her and appeared beside Max, a look of shock on the blunette's sweet face. Max stumbled backwards from the shock of almost hitting the girl, the freeze ended and the two balls went sailing past both of them.

Chloe stood motionless, breathing heavily and trying not to laugh.

"What happened?!" Rachel said, feeling Max's shock and confusion, already running towards them.

"I've no idea." Max said, staring at the blue haired punk.

"Oh... wow... that was fucking awesome!" Chloe smirked. "Oh..." Her eyes rolled back and the punk dropped to the floor in a heap.

"Chloe!" Max shouted, dropping to her knees and placing her hand on the girl's cheek.

Rachel skidded to a halt beside them and dropped to her knees, her fingers going to Chloe's neck to check for a pulse. She then placed her ear to Chloe's chest and listened to her heartbeat. Max was surprised at how efficient the girl had become as their medic.

"Passed out. We need to get her to the bus." Rachel shrugged.

Between them they managed to haul the taller girl off the grass, an arm across each of their shoulders and carefully dragged the girl towards their home. Max had never realised just how heavy Chloe was, she'd never had to lift her like this before, or move her anywhere for that matter. Chloe had always been the one helping Max get around, carrying her, lifting her. It was so strange to be on the other side of that kind of moment. With some difficulty the two smaller girls managed to get Chloe into the bedroom and onto the bed. Rachel pulled off the punks boots and dropped them by the door, while Max propped herself up by the head board, placing Chloe's head on her lap just as Chloe had done for her so many times in the past.

"What happened?" Rachel asked, sitting beside Max and putting an arm around her.

"We were in the freeze time. One moment she was right in front of me, the next she was beside me." Max shrugged, resting her head on Rachel's shoulder, looking for the comfort of her friend.

"Just like that?" Rachel said.

"Just like that." Max nodded. "I've no idea how she did it, why she did it, or anything. She just... literally teleported in freeze time."

"Maybe because of what happened with Free Space? Or because she's connected to you?" Rachel offered. Max smiled at how the girl was already trying to come up with an answer before they could ask Chloe what had happened. If it had been just the two of them, Max would have had to wait for the blunette to come around.

"Whatever she did... it must have worn her out." She said, stroking Chloe's blue hair gently.

"You look just like her." Rachel smirked.

"What?"

"She would stroke your hair while you were asleep too, refusing to leave your side. You're both... really caring of each other. You've probably not been apart in months."

"We're joined at the heart." Max laughed, thinking of what Joyce had said about Chloe and Rachel in the past.

"It's deeper than that. You're joined at the soul I think." Rachel said, gently playing with Max's hair. "We're joined at the heart." She laughed.

"That's very true." Max smirked, thinking of their tether which still remained open. "Chloe's trickery with the timeline... she really did learn how to manipulate it."

"Maybe we can do the same? We need to find this lab somehow, we could always bait them?"

"Bait them how?" She asked, taking her head off of the blondes shoulder.

"Let them capture me? They'll take me back to their lab and we'll know where to go. You and Chloe can rewind up to... what?"

"Three hours. But after that we'd have to break you out." Max said.

"Like the two of you would have a problem with that." Rachel laughed. "But then we'd have a location."

"There might be a better way, than putting us at risk." Max smirked. "Chloe said all their holdings are online, they have to be registered. Could you find all the buildings they own?"

"No. They use dummy corporations, trust funds, loads of tricky things that I've been using to keep us off their radar too." Rachel said, shaking her head.

"We could always attack their income then? Hostile takeovers?" Max said. She really had no idea what she was on about, but it sounded cool in the movies.

"That could take years sweetie. If you're looking for a solution a little closer to now, we have to act faster." Rachel took hold of one of Max's hands and squeezed gently. "I know you don't want to go to Kristine, but maybe she can help now?"

"No. She thinks Amelia is loyal, and I don't trust her." Max said defiantly.

"Then Kristine needs to know that too. We need allies Max. The only other way this ends without Kristine is..."

"By wiping out their Council." Max said, understanding what that meant. She would go from survivor to hitwoman.

"Let's contact Kristine? Meet her somewhere really public?" Rachel offered.

"Her?" Max asked. "I thought she only worked this through Amelia?"

"She'll have to meet us if we insist." Rachel shrugged. "It's worth a shot, right?"

"Right..." Max nodded. "But not until we know what Chloe just did. Make a call, get Kristine to agree but don't set a date."

"Okay sweetie." Rachel smiled, kissing Max's cheek and getting off the bed. "I'll be back soon."

"No rush." Max smiled, indicating the sleeping punk. "I'll shout you when she wakes up."

Rachel left the two of them alone in the bedroom to make her phonecalls, giving Max some time to simply admire her fiancée. She had no idea what to do with herself at times like this, but she knew she couldn't leave her side. She contented herself to simply stroking the blue hair of her partner, thinking how they should both get a haircut soon and re-apply Max's blue highlight. She fiddled with her ring happily, aware of the missing tattoo below the band. It had only been there for a day, but the fact it was now missing mad her feel incomplete, like part of her was gone.

_Which is exactly how I'll feel if I ever revisit free space. You won't be there anymore to tease me, to help ground me. Though I can always take you with me now_. She thought, looking at the blunette who was stirring ever so slightly. _I never understood how somebody could take another life before, but I understand why I can take a life for you._

* * *

 

Max handed the plate to Rachel after she had finished eating the rest of her sandwich, grateful that the blonde had decided to make her a meal while Max was looking after Chloe. The punk had slept most of the day, stirring every now and then in her sleep but still not waking. Concern had grown at the back of Max's mind and she was preparing to step into free space, hoping to pull the mind of her lover with her so she could find out what was going on. Rachel had felt that concern and they had discussed Max's plan, stopping the brunette from doing anything rash on an empty stomach, but it was now time to act.

She sat back, her hand on Chloe's head and prepared to do as she had done before when the girl moved and murmured, breaking Max away from her concentration.

"What happened?" Chloe asked quietly, her hand squeezing Max's leg.

"You did something new and passed out." Rachel said, kneeling on the floor beside the bed so she could look at Chloe's face.

"I... remember that. How am I in bed?"

"We dragged you in from outside." Max answered this time, stroking Chloe's hair.

"What did you do?" Rachel asked.

"I... was concentrating on getting to Max." Chloe answered, rubbing her eyes. "You know how it is in freeze time..." She looked up at Max, who nodded.

"It's like wading through water, you have to push through it." Max explained for Rachel's benefit. "Only it's all around you, constantly."

"So I was focused on that, getting to Max. Then..." Chloe went quiet, a grin pulling at her lips. "I was just there, just like that."

"That's quite a trick." Max said, trying not to laugh at the ecstatic smile on Chloe's face.

"It was fucking awesome!" Chloe corrected her, finding some of her energy. "Just... boom, there I was."

"But you passed out." Rachel said. "How's it good to do that if you pass out right away?"

"I... think..." Chloe started to say, frowning.

"We were practising for a while before hand, and it might be like my powers. She's going to need to practice, short hops." Max smiled.

"Does it have to be in a freeze though?" Rachel asked.

"We'll have to run..." Max started.

"More tests." Chloe smirked, sitting up beside Max and wrapping her arms around the brunette.

"Oh here we go again." Rachel smirked, feeling Max's emotions before they even registered with Max. "You two talk, get it out of your system... I'm going to go and try to find out some more information on Blackwell."

"Thank you Rach." Max smiled, turning into her partner's arms.

"Don't get used to it. We have the time right now, but we need to be ready to end this." Rachel said, leaving the two of them alone in the bedroom once more, closing the door behind her.

"I thought it was supposed to be me finding the depths to my powers?" Max asked quietly, nuzzling into Chloe's neck.

"Well I found a depth to your powers... for me." Chloe laughed as Max started tickling her sides. "No Max... no..." She giggled, squirming away from the smaller girl.

"You're a power thief. Thieves must be punished." Max said, not stopping her tickle assault on her partner.

"You... know... I can win." Chloe said, pinning Max's body with her own and pinning her hands to her sides. "Like this..." The blunette smirked.

"Maybe that's where I wanted you..." Max smirked, slowly slipping her hands out of Chloe's grip and onto the girls hip's. "I was worried about you."

"Oh now you know how I've felt, all those times you've passed out." Chloe smirked, holding herself above Max with her forearms. "Max..."

"There's something I haven't told you." Max said, looking into the depths of Chloe's blue eyes. "Something really... really important."

"What is it?" Chloe whispered, her nose gently brushing against Max's.

"I love you." Max whispered, closing her eyes as she felt Chloe's warm breath on her lips.

"I love you too." Chloe said just as quietly.

* * *

 

The first thing they did the next day was go outside to test Chloe's new powers. They'd had a small meal but Max was wary of the blunette eating too much and making herself sick, as Max had done when doing the stock market job all those months ago. Rachel had the medical bag with her, just in case something really bad happened, but Max was sure they weren't going to need it. There weren't swinging around sharp objects or shooting guns, but Rachel wanted to be certain.

"Small jumps." Max repeated as Chloe backed away from the two of them.

"I know, I know." Chloe grinned.

"She's going to ignore you." Rachel muttered.

"Of course she is." Max tried not to laugh. "She wouldn't be Chloe if she didn't ignore me once in a while."

"Here we go." Chloe said, she stepped forward and nothing happened. "Max?"

"What?" Max asked.

"You... need to freeze. I didn't feel anything at all." Chloe said, taking another step back.

"Are you even doing it right?" Rachel asked. Max tried not to laugh at the tone in her voice.

"Of course not." Chloe answered, rolling her shoulders. "I did this once, by accident. Would you like to try?"

"No no. I'm enjoying the show." The blonde laughed.

"Okay Max... freeze." Chloe said. Max froze time just as instructed and watched her partner closely.

Chloe took a step forward and just like before disappeared, appearing right beside Max and almost making the brunette stumble again. Max released the power quickly, but Chloe was already laughing and whooping.

"Fuck yeah! That is fucking awesome! Oh my God!" She said, punching the air and cheering happily.

"So it worked?" Rachel asked.

"She can... step through time." Max said, watching her ecstatic fiancée jumping up and down with joy. "How are you feeling?" She asked, concerned the punk was about to pass out again.

"In-fucking-credible!" Chloe said, grabbing Max's hands and pulling her into a spin. "That is fucking amazing, you have to do it with me!"

"Moving a little fast don't you think?" Max asked cautiously.

"Oh come on Max, we have to try!" Chloe said, pulling her away from Rachel. "We won't go as far, but I want to know if it's possible, like you can share your power with me."

"I don't want you passing out on me again." Max argued, though not very well as she was still following her partner further away from Rachel.

"One more time then? Please babe?" Chloe was giving Max her best puppy dog eyes, the eyes she had never managed to resist.

"Fine..." Max smirked. "But... kiss me first."

Chloe didn't waste a moment in kissing Max on the lips, giving Max just what she wanted. She froze time while they kissed, just as the ecstatic punk had requested. "Whenever you're ready." Max whispered as they broke their kiss.

"Hold on tight." Chloe smiled.

Max felt it more than anything else, a strong pressure around her body, like they were being squeezed through time to another location. She felt as though she couldn't breathe, like her mind was going to explode, but almost as soon as these sensations had started they were over and they were stood beside Rachel. Max released her part of the power and laughed as Rachel jumped at their sudden appearance before them.

"It fucking works!" Chloe shouted, never releasing Max from her grip as she cheered again. "Yes! Fuck yes! Oh my God!"

"New power..." Max smirked at Rachel. "And it's only half mine."

"It's all yours babe!" Chloe laughed, pulling Max away from the blonde and into another kiss. "Because I'm all yours!"

* * *

 

"Mr Prescott. We've checked all the Caulfield records. They've had no further contact with their daughter since she was shot." Becker said over the phone.

"They have no way of finding or contacting their daughter then?" Sean asked, pacing his study uncomfortably.

"No sir. We're going to have to wait for them to come to us." Becker sounded tired, and Sean knew why. He'd been pushing the man further with less sleep ever since this all started last year.

"I need you to increase security around the Portland Lab. Anything suspicious will need investigating." Sean said. "You know her MO?"

"Of course I do. I've had months to read every scrap of intel we have on this girl."

"Do your best Becker, we can't allow them access to the lab." Sean said, stopping at his computer. "Let me know when the Chairman arrives."

"You'll be the first." Becker replied, then hung up the phone.

"Somehow... I doubt that." Sean muttered.


	24. The Ticking Clock

Max stepped out of their car and into the bright sunlight outside the LAX airport. It had been months since the last time they were here, when she had called Chloe with the butterflies in her stomach hoping the punk didn't turn her away. Hoping she could see the girl she had fallen so madly in love with. She looked across the roof of the car as Chloe's blue hair appeared over it, a smirk playing on her wonderful face.

Ever since they'd discovered Chloe's ability to step through frozen time the girl had insisted on practising up until the point she was exhausted. Day after day she had pushed her powers, taking Max along with her every time. Unlike Max who had hated her powers the last time she was at LAX, Chloe had embraced the gifts she'd been given, even if she couldn't do much with them without Max. The blunette had also come alive, she was far happier than Max could remember, laughing and teasing her every chance she got.

"Come on!" Chloe said, taking Max's hand and pulling her towards the airport lobby. "Places to be, people to annoy." She laughed.

"Alright!" Max smiled, lacing her fingers between Chloe's, feeling the click of her ring against one of the punks.

They walked through the building casually, laughing at some of the different people who looked like they'd had a bad flight, or had come dressed for the wrong climate. Max found herself covering Chloe's mouth with her hand on more than one occasion as the girl became a little too rowdy, an action that was countered by a lick on the inside of Max's hand and a quick kiss on the lips soon after. Anybody would think they were just two young girls enjoying life.

"Rachel would love to be here... we could play a game." Chloe grinned, sitting on an empty bench in the middle of the courseway and pulling Max to sit down on her lap.

"But Rachel can't quickly escape a bad situation by closing her eyes really tight, clicking her heels together and saying 'There's no place like home.' Can she?" Max laughed happily.

"I do not click my heels together." Chloe frowned.

"No... you think of our bedroom as home and keep moving us there by accident." Max said, resting her head on Chloe's shoulder.

"Oh look lads, lesbians!" A tourist said as they passed by with their male friends.

"Fuck off asshole." Chloe said, flipping the ignorant idiot her middle finger.

"There's always one." Max muttered.

"Don't let it worry you babe." Chloe smiled. "Assholes are always assholes." She nuzzled Max's cheek.

Two women sat on the other side of the bench, not far from Max and Chloe. The shorter one had long blonde hair, the other short black hair. Max knew immediately who they were and gently poked Chloe's shoulder before pointing towards them. The punk got the message straight away.

"I see you two just keep on making friends." The dark haired woman said quietly, though loud enough for them both to hear her.

"When you look as good as us together..." Chloe smirked.

"Let's go for a walk." The blonde woman said, standing up.

The four of them walked through the airport quietly until they found one of the many coffee shops in the place. Max found a table with the blonde, while the dark haired woman and Chloe went up to the counter.

"Nice to finally meet you Maxine." The blonde said, offering her hand across the table.

"It's Max. Thank you for meeting us Kristine." She shook the womans hand politely.

"I'd like to start off by apologising for what my family has done to you. Father for his idiocy and my brother for..."

"Killing Rachel, trying to bully me and dosing Chloe?" Max offered. She would never forgive Nathan, even if he had been an unfortunate victim himself.

"My family have really put you through a lot." Kristine said sadly.

"Yeah. I don't think shooting me just counts as idiocy either."

"Point made." Kristine nodded. "You asked for this meeting, and it's taken a while for us to meet. What happened with the Prescott Penthouse?"

"Something went wrong. I don't know what exactly, but we were followed home and Chloe was killed."

Kristine looked at her skeptically, but Max had seen that look before when first talking to somebody about her powers. "She was killed?" The woman asked, glancing to the blunette still at the counter.

"I went back and stopped us doing the mission. Otherwise Holden would be dead too." Max said.

"You only mentioned Chloe dying? What else happened?" Kristine asked.

"When I broke out I shot and killed all of the men who had attacked and taken us. I also killed Amelia." Max added, noticing a look of shock in the blonde's eyes at the last bit of information.

"Why did you kill her? She's been nothing but loyal."

"We only got found after she joined us. I had to be certain, I couldn't risk it."

"Smart thinking." Amelia said, sitting down beside Kristine and passing her a drink. "I'm alive now, so it's not like you left me dead."

"But was it smart?" Kristine asked.

"If you don't know who to trust and you can undo whatever damage you do. Yeah." Amelia nodded, a smile on her face. "Max did the right thing."

"But I still don't trust you now." Max said, sitting back as Chloe sat beside her.

"Walk me through what happened. I'll... see if there's any holes. Anything that could explain it." Amelia said.

"I am assuming this is why you chose a very public place?" Kristine asked, looking around the airport.

"Nobody will notice if we vanish suddenly." Max smirked.

"Okay. From the top then please." Amelia said, sipping her coffee.

The four of them sat talking for an hour with Max and Chloe both reliving the events of that night and morning. Chloe's hand never left Max's through the whole conversation, just enough pressure to stop Max from breaking down at how Chloe had died because of the bullet she had fired. Amelia and Kristine listened intently, nodding their heads when they understood what Max was saying. By the end of her story Max's mouth was dry, so she quickly took hold of the coffee Chloe had bought her. It was cold, but it satisfied her dry lips and throat.

"Amelia? You're my tactical assessor. What do you think went wrong?" Kristine asked, lacing her fingers on the table similar to her father.

"Leaving the hotel when you did could have flagged them, especially if their intention was to make you panic. From there they'd have followed you to the motel, then followed me back to your home." Amelia said.

"Why not just follow us the whole way?" Chloe asked.

"They may have done, then waited for me to turn up. Honestly, if I'm dealing with a traveler? I'd be looking for unusual reversals. Like two business women checking out of their hotel in the middle of the night." Amelia shrugged her shoulders. "Other than that... they may have followed me straight away and only picked up on you when you collected Rachel."

"So I killed you... for no reason?" Max said, a heavy weight settling in her heart.

"Don't." Chloe whispered, putting her arm around the brunette. "You did the right thing."

"She's right Max. You had no reason to trust me after all of that, you were acting on impulse, instinct. It's not your fault." Amelia said, trying to give Max a comforting smile.

"The question now is where we go from here." Kristine interrupted. "We don't have any evidence for their actions at this lab. We don't know where it is either. We can't get the feds involved without proof."

"How's Rachel?" Amelia asked suddenly.

"She's fine." Chloe answered. "It was her idea to stay at home while we talked."

"Smart girl." Kristine said, looking annoyed. "But down to business people. Blackwell opens its doors on the first of September. Kids will be moving into those dorms on the second. They will be monitored the entire time. That gives us two weeks to get all the evidence we can to stop this."

"Well we're out of ideas." Max said honestly. "We don't know where the lab is. They have Rachel's mother, Sera, and her half-sister, but they probably don't know we know that. But we don't know where they're being held either."

"We'll look into the situation with Sera." Amelia said.

"I'd like you to go to the Prescott estate in Arcadia." Kristine looked at Max. "If my father has any kind of sensitive information it will be there."

"That place is a fortress, he'll be waiting for them." Amelia argued.

"It needs doing Amelia. We can't get anybody into his inner circle, we blew it when we tried to save Rachel."

"So we're going to Arcadia again?" Chloe looked annoyed. "I fucking hate that place."

"Im sorry Chloe, we don't have anybody else who could get in undetected." Kristine said, looking to the punk. "If we want information, evidence, that's where we have to go."

"We can handle it." Max said, placing her hand on Chloe's leg and gently squeezing her knee. "They won't know we're there."

"Max... there's something else." Kristine said quietly. "If you come across my father... kill him."

"Not exactly stealth if we kill a man." Chloe whispered. "And you're asking us to be assassins."

"It will give the Prescott estate to me, they'll try to pull me into their shady little cabal if they still need my father's assets, and if they think they can control me it's the perfect way in." Kristine explained.

* * *

 

Rachel paced the kitchen and dining area as she worried about the two girls. This was the furthest apart they'd ever been from each other and she could feel it in her tether with Max. The emotions the brunette were feeling were unclear, distant and fuzzy. It had kept her on edge ever since they'd left her behind. She understood why it had to be this way, it was after all her idea to split up like this. Max and Chloe could get themselves out of trouble far easier if they didn't have to protect her too, something she had accepted after Chloe's discovery of her new powers. Waiting almost three days for the two of them to return wasn't easy, even though they had promised to return as quickly as possible.

They were supposed to be calling after the meeting with Kristine to put her mind at ease, but patience had never been one of her strongest traits. She wanted answers, she wanted these two nightmare years to finally end. Most of all she wanted to know where she stood with the two girls who had become her life. They had never given her an answer, it had never been brought up in conversation since Max had returned with a new timeline story to tell.

Once in a while they slept in the same bed, usually because they'd watch a movie together and somebody would fall asleep or they'd all become too comfortable to get out of the bed, but nothing close to the intimacy she'd felt that night had happened again. She'd slept in their bed last night and it had been the loneliest night without the girls in the battlebus with her. She hadn't been able to sleep, kept awake by the eerie silence of the night, Chloe's gun hidden beneath her pillow as her only means of comfort.

When he phone started ringing she snapped it up immediately and hit the answer key.

"Max... took you long enough." She said.

"Sorry Rach, it dragged on a bit. But we're good." Max sounded tired.

"You on your way home?" Rachel asked, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Not yet. We need to go to Arcadia Bay." Max said, sighing.

"Not our choice!" Chloe said loudly. The two girls had put her on speaker.

"Why do you need to go there?" Rachel said, crossing her arms in annoyance. She didn't want to be apart from them for any longer.

"Kristine wants us to break into the Prescott estate to get info." Chloe answered. "And if we get a chance she wants her daddy dead."

"She's actually asked you to kill him?"

"If we get a chance." Max answered this time, sounding unsure.

"You don't have to do it." Rachel argued. "You don't have to become assassins for these people. You could just find the information and get out."

"We know. We're... still debating it." Chloe said. Rachel could hear the uncertainty in her best friends voice.

"How about I meet you both outside Arcadia at one of the RV parks?" She asked.

"You sure you want to drive all that way?" Chloe asked. There was a rustling on the phone as it was moved.

"I'm sure. I... miss you both." Rachel admitted. "I'd like to get back together as soon as possible."

"We miss you too. So go for it." Max answered. "Give us a call when you're there."

"Of course." Rachel smiled. "I'll see you both soon."

"Drive safe sweetie." Max said before she hung up the phone.

Rather than waiting around any longer, Rachel set to work getting the battlebus ready to travel. The sooner she got to the RV park, the sooner she could see her friends again.

* * *

 

When Chloe and Max pulled up to their home the next evening they weren't surprised when Rachel came rushing out of the door and hugged them both tightly. Max had never seen the blonde so happy to see them. She was soon dragged inside while Chloe grabbed their travel bags out of the trunk of their car and was hit by the wonderful smell of food cooking in the kitchen.

"What's cookin'?" Chloe asked as she dropped their bags onto the seats at the dining table and peered over Rachel's head at the kitchen.

"Spaghetti Bolognese, home made, mostly." Rachel smiled. "I was bored, you told me when you'd be here so... I made dinner."

"It smells incredible Rach." Max said, taking the bags and carefully slipping past the blonde into the bedroom.

"I hope you don't mind, I've been sleeping in here while you've been away." Rachel said, following Max.

"That's fine." She dropped the bags on the unmade bed and quickly gave Rachel another hug. After a few days with the tether so taut and difficult to read, it felt good to be back in the blonde's presence.

"I've missed you both!" Rachel said, pulling on Max's left hand to lead her back out of the bedroo. Max gasped and pulled her hand away, causing Rachel to turn and look at her confused. "What's wrong?" She said, looking at Max's hand and then gasped. "Where's your ring?"

"Around my neck." Max said, holding up the bullet necklace with her right hand, which also had her sapphire ring on it.

"Then why aren't you wearing it? What did you do to your hand?"

"She got a tattoo!" Chloe shouted.

"You got a tattoo?" Rachel said, a bright smile on her face. "Show me, you have to show me!"

Max gently undid the small bandage around her finger and showed Rachel the tattoo she'd had on her ring finger, the same one Chloe had called an echo from another timeline. Rachel smiled as she admired the words _Forever_ tattoo'd twice around Max's small finger.

"That is... dedication." Rachel laughed. "And beautiful." She smiled. "Come on... I have to get back to cooking." The blonde said, taking Max's right hand and guiding her out of the bedroom to the waiting blue haired punk, who had sat herself at the dining table.

"We missed you too by the way." Chloe grinned. "Max kept worrying about you."

"You did too." Max smiled, sitting on her partners lap.

"I worried about you both too." Rachel nodded, leaning against the kitchen counter. "I couldn't feel Max's emotions very well, and when I did they weren't always good. Kept me up at night."

"Even though I kept texting you?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah."

"It was a... stressful meeting." Max admitted quietly. "I was wrong about Amelia in the other timeline. I... killed her for no reason."

"But even she admitted you'd done the right thing." Chloe said, wrapping her arms around Max's waist.

"Still... everybody else I've killed, except you... they deserved it. They were trying to kill me, or us. Amelia... wasn't. I just feel wrong for it." Max said, leaning against Chloe.

"She's been like this the whole way home." Chloe said, gently rocking the brunette in her arms.

"You didn't pull the trigger." Max whispered, turning her head into Chloe's neck.

"Neither did you." Rachel said, sitting across from Chloe and Max. "You erased that timeline."

"But I can still see the look on your face, the look on Amelia's. They're... engrained into my mind. I close my eyes and I see you die." She looked into Chloe's eyes, afraid of what the girl would think about her.

"I close my eyes... and I see my saviour." Chloe smiled. "You didn't kill me Max, you gave me something special."

"Exactly! You gave us all something special Max." Rachel added, taking Max's hands. "You're allowed to make mistakes, as long as you learn from them." The blonde smiled. "Your words."

"I should have known you'd use that against me." Max smirked, trying not to laugh.

"Oh too right, this was the perfect moment." Rachel grinned, releasing Max's hands and rocking back up onto her feet so she could return to the cooking.

"See babe? Nobody blames you." Chloe whispered softly into her ear. "And if we have to talk about this again, I'm tying you to the bed."

Max laughed and blushed, trying not to let Rachel see how red she'd turned. "Is that really a punishment?" Max whispered.

"Depends." Chloe laughed, gently running a finger up Max's lower back just below her shirt.

"Don't." Max whispered, feeling the tingling in her spine.

"Put her down." Rachel laughed, placing a bowl of bread sticks on the table. "She doesn't need to be flustered while she's trying to eat."

"I guess." Chloe smirked, kissing Max's forehead.

"So what's your plan for going into the Prescott estate?" Rachel asked.

"I was thinking I'd just... what are we calling it again?" Chloe asked, grinning.

"A timestep." Max shrugged. "You thought of it."

"Okay yeah, we're going to timestep to the estate, poke through his shit, timestep back, rewind. Easy right?"

"Can you really timestep there?" Rachel asked. "Don't you need to... see it or something?"

"I've been getting into the bus just fine." Chloe shrugged.

"Yes, but you know what the bedroom looks like, you two spend enough time in there." Rachel laughed, serving up their meal. Max slipped off Chloe's lap into the seat beside her, but quickly took hold of one of the blunette's hands.

"Well we'll just have to... see how we go?" Chloe smirked, accepting the plate Rachel offered her as well as the cutlery.

"Yeah... good plan Price." Rachel smiled, handing another plate to Max. "You'll go far without a plan."

"Well we had a plan last time, and Max ended up resetting time to fix it." Choe said, loading up her fork.

"That was just bad luck." Max said, watching Rachel uncork a bottle of wine and fill three glasses.

"Goo' poin' 'abe." Chloe mumbled with a mouth full of food.

"We still need to know if you can go somewhere you've never seen." Rachel said, handing out the glasses of wine before finally joining them at the table with her own plate.

"That's not easy to test." Max took a sip of the wine, appreciating the taste.

"So you're going to test it on the night?" Rachel said, loading up her own fork.

"Why not? If it doesn't work no worries. If we end up in Portland... we'll need a ride?" Chloe shrugged with a smirk.

"How will you get back afterwards?" Rachel asked before taking a bite of her meal.

"Timestep, for sure. I can always get us into that bedroom." Chloe smirked.

"I know... I hear the moans at night." Rachel laughed. Max blushed and looked away from the blonde. "Yes Max, I can hear you. I'm not deaf."

"I thought you were pretty quiet to be fair." Chloe grinned, dropping her fork and kissing Max on the head.

"You're louder than me Chloe." Max said, finding a bit of confidence.

"That's because you're just so damn good with..."

"Alright! Let's eat before Rach gets jealous." Max said loudly to interrupt her partner.

"I've got no reason to get jealous." Rachel said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"I can't win..." Max said, looking at the two girls who were getting a good laugh out of her bright red face.

After they'd finished eating Max and Chloe helped tidy up before wishing Rachel a good night. They'd traveled non-stop to get back home, which meant switching places and trying to sleep in the car, something neither of them had really managed to do. Normally when the door to their bedroom closed behind them they would wrap each other in their arms and kiss until the found the bed, but not that night. That night Max struggled to remove her own jeans and shirt before falling into bed, snuggling up to Chloe's warm body when the punk finally joined her under the covers. Chloe fell asleep first, her arms wrapped tightly around Max's smaller frame, but Max was struggling to find sleep. Her mind was in overdrive, thinking of all the possibilities of what was about to happen, how she could influence it, who would live and die. She wasn't certain she could kill Prescott in cold blood, despite his earlier attempt at killing her in the hotel, it was a constant source of confusion for her.

She heard the bedroom door open slowly and the gentle footsteps on the carpet, then felt the warmth as Rachel got into bed beside her. She felt the kiss on her forehead as the blonde's emotions tried to soothe her confusion, tried to relax her so she could sleep.

"Thank you Rach." Max whispered as the girl gently stroked her hair. She could feel her mind finally relaxing, finally letting go of all of the emotions she'd been struggling with over the last couple of days.

* * *

 

Chloe woke up the following morning and looked at the back of the brunette's head, who had her hips pressed against Chloe's. She'd missed moments like this when she'd been trapped in free space, to be able to wake up to Max's body pressed against her own. What she hadn't told Max was how lonely she'd become, drifting from memory to memory when she had learned how and only getting the freedom to speak to her when Max entered the free space too. She hadn't just seen that one memory of Max, she'd been able to revisit all of their memories together, as well as memories of her Dad and their time as children. Time had no meaning in free space, no way to judge just how long she had existed in those memories, but she knew she loved Max all the more for what the brunette had gone through time and again just to keep her alive.

Back in Arcadia Bay she'd only felt the effect of Max's powers, predictions of the future that would come true, perfect accuracy, saved from life endangering events by the timely intervention of Max. After her time in free space, Chloe had seen everything Max had done, every variation of the timeline she had lived through, including the moment she helped an alternate Chloe die. She'd seen it all, felt it all and she could never leave her side after seeing just what Max would go through for her.

_And for years all I could do was silently curse your name and wish you were with me._ Chloe thought, keeping her arms wrapped around the brunette, one of her hands on the girl's small stomach. _I never knew just how badly you'd had it after Dad died, never knew what damage it did to you too. Rachel found and saved me, but you were still alone, losing yourself in your photography, trying to lose yourself with people you couldn't connect with._

Reluctantly she slipped her arms out from around the girl, kissing the back of her neck, before getting out of bed. It was her job to cook breakfast, to give them the best start to what was going to be a long day. She slipped out of their bedroom quietly and into the kitchen area where Rachel was already sat on her own bed, reading a book quietly.

"Morning Rach." Chloe said, sitting on the bed beside Rachel.

"Hey Chloe. Sleep well?" The blonde asked, bookmarking a page and dropping it down on the floor.

"Yeah. You okay?"

"Anxious, waiting to get this day over and done with." Rachel answered honestly.

Chloe nodded. "Me too. Back into the Lion's den."

"Are we... going to stick around Arcadia afterwards?" Rachel asked.

"Not if you don't want to. It's not like we can go into town before doing this." Chloe pulled her knees up to her chest, she didn't want to see the Two Whales Diner, it would bring back memories of her Mom.

"I'd rather avoid it." Rachel nodded, resting her head on Chloe's shoulder. "We're not even in Arcadia and I already feel like I want to run away again."

"We'll leave tonight, after we've got the info." Chloe said, putting an arm around her friend.

"Thank you Chloe." Rachel said, taking hold of one of Chloe's hands.

The two sat in silence for some time, giving Chloe chance to think of the first time they had sat like this all those years ago after a therapy session. It was a memory she had revisited a few times, if only to remember how Rachel had once been. She had been trying to understand her friend, trying to understand where it all went wrong for the blonde.

"I'd better get cooking, before the TimeLady wakes up." Chloe said, releasing Rachel from their hug.

"I'll get the bed put away." Rachel smiled, accepting their moment together was over.

* * *

 

Sean stood at the top of his manor steps as two vans pulled up along with a black limo. He'd not been expecting this, he didn't like it when plans were changed at the last minute. A team of security guards exited the first van, followed by two men out of the second. Becker wasn't amongst them, no doubt following his orders to protect the lab. The limo door opened and a young man got out wearing a sharp suit with a briefcase, Sean hadn't expected the Chairman to be so young, but the man didn't approach him. He stood aside and helped a tall, graceful woman out of the limo. She looked to be in her late twenties, but her confident walk and clasped hands spoke volumes of her position and authority.

She strode up the steps, two men hanging slightly behind her as well as the assistant Sean had mistaken to be the Chairman. Her black suit was simple yet elegant, but the necklace around her neck was hidden down her blouse, the silver chain the only visible part of it. On her left hand was a ring, slightly hidden by her other hand. He'd never seen a woman like this, her beauty was mystifying and regal. She stopped before him, a wry smile playing at her lips.

"Mr Prescott. It's an honour." She said, her British accent taking him by surprise.

"You're... the Chairman?" He asked, presenting his right hand to shake.

"Chairwoman." She said, shaking his hand politely. "I felt it was important to get my own boots on the ground." She said, indicating the security team currently moving a large box towards his manor. "We have much to discuss. Please, lead the way."

Sean turned and escorted the woman towards the manor doors, a feeling of unease settling in his stomach. "Is the entire project in the box?" He asked.

"Of course. Where I go, it follows." The woman answered as they crossed the threshold into his home.

"Why send Becker to the Lab if you weren't intending to use it?"

"If Caulfield knows about the lab she'll be looking for it. She's a smart girl, and very resourceful. So we need to put that issue to rest first."

Sean opened the door to his office and allowed the woman to pass inside first then followed her in. Only her assistant followed them into the room, and he stood to the side out of the way. "She has proven to be a... resourceful thorn in our sides." Sean admitted, watching the woman sit at his desk. She looked quite at home in his office.

"A thorn. Nothing more Prescott. This should never have gone so far." The Chairwoman said.

"She hasn't interfered in the rebuilding effort, or at the lab." Sean said, clasping his hands behind his back. "At most..."

"All of your blunders have been internal. Spies trying to get information into our actions, more bribes to cover up what we're doing. Your division has been a black hole for resources with no profit. For all your blunders though, you have at least ensured Caulfield will be looking for information, looking to bring you down, specifically."

"That's why you're here?" Sean asked, surprised.

"This will be the epicentre once more. Family knows family, Prescott. It seems to be the one thing you've forgotten."

* * *

 

"Fucking... fuck..." Chloe shouted, stomping around the bedroom.

"We knew it may be based on where you've been before." Max said, sitting on the bed as time resumed around them.

"I know." Chloe huffed, sitting beside Max and putting an arm around her.

It was ten o'clock at night and Chloe had just tried to timestep them into the Prescott estate. Unfortunately it hadn't worked, confirming the limitations to Chloe's powers. She had to either visually see where she wanted to be, or had to have been there before. It meant they had to switch to plan B.

"I'll tell Rachel the new plan." Max said, kissing her annoyed partner on the lips. "It'll be easier if you only have to timestep once anyway. It'll be the furthest jump you've ever done outside of training."

"I know Max... just... like you, I wish my part of these powers was stronger." Chloe said, picking the bag up off the floor which she'd discarded after their last attempt failed.

"In time." Max smirked, getting off the bed and leaving their bedroom.

Rachel looked round as soon as Max entered the dining area. "No luck?"

"No. So... will you drive us out there?" Max asked.

"Of course sweetie. What's the plan after that?" Rachel said, closing her book.

"You drive home, call us, tell us the time and that's our return point." Max said, checking her camera bag was secure.

"And if anything happens along the way?" The blonde asked, pulling on her shoes.

"I rewind and we leave the plan for another day." Max shrugged. "We're not going to do this if something can go wrong."

"Let's go" Chloe said, tapping Max on the back with the bag. "Sooner we're in..."

"Sooner we're home." Max smiled, following the blonde out of their home to the car.

Rachel sat in the driver's seat while both Chloe and Max climbed into the back seat. Chloe put her bag in her lap and took hold of Max's hand as they left the RV park behind. It was over thirty minutes to the Prescott estate, the only manor in Arcadia bay, hidden from the town by large trees and high hedgerows. Rachel pulled the car over just down the road from the entrance and got out with the two girls. She looked worried to Max, she kept wrapping her arms around herself and looking over her shoulder as they stood under the night sky.

"Rach... we'll be fine." Chloe said, hugging the blonde tightly.

"Call us as soon as you're home, okay?" Max said, also hugging the girl once Chloe had let her go.

"Be careful, both of you?" Rachel whispered, refusing to let Max go for a moment. "I don't know where I'll be without you both."

"It'll be okay." Max smiled, kissing the blonde on the cheek.

"Go home Rach." Chloe said gently.

Rachel finally released Max from the hug and smiled weakly at them both. "Come back to me in one piece." She said before getting back into their car.

As soon as Rachel and their vehicle were out of sight, Max and Chloe slipped into the trees, carefully stepping over roots as they tried to go as far from the road and around the estate grounds as possible. Max kept an eye on her phone signal, making sure Rachel would be able to contact them once she was home, it was a difficult thing to do in the dark without tripping over a root or dodging a low hanging branch.

Eventually Chloe sat against a tree and pulled Max down onto her lap, listening to the trickle of water coming from somewhere inside the estate. They sat and waited, waiting for Max's phone to start vibrating. Finally the phone shook in Max's hands and she answered it quickly.

"Rach..." She whispered.

"I'm home. It's Eleven twenty one." The girl said, sounding out of breath.

"Did you run inside?" Max asked, concern lacing her voice.

"Only so you didn't worry." Rachel laughed. "I'll see you soon."

"Very soon." Max said, hanging up the phone. "Eleven twenty one. That's our rewind point." She said to Chloe as she put her phone in her camera bag.

"You okay?" Chloe asked, gently stroking Max's hair. "Sure you wanna do this again?"

"Yeah... I'm fine." Max said, sighing heavily. "One more mission and we're done." She leaned into her partner, not wanting to get up from her lap. "Chloe..."

"Hm?"

"I can't wait to marry you." She smiled. "It keeps me going."

Chloe chuckled quietly and kissed Max's cheek. "Not much longer now, and we can pick which last name we'll use."

"Then let's get past this... so I can be Max Price." Max laughed, getting up out of Chloe's lap.

* * *

 

The hedgerows were too high to climb over, but once Chloe could see a small area inside the estate boundries they had a way inside. Max took hold of Chloe's hand and froze time, and Chloe timestepped them past the hedge. Before releasing her part of the power Max glanced quickly around the ornate gardens, looking for any signs of armed guards or security cameras. It looked clear, and Chloe nodded her approval before Max allowed time to continue.

Swiftly they moved through the garden towards the house. Max kept looking around them for any security while Chloe concentrated on finding them a way in. The punk pointed to the rear doors and pulled Max towards them. Something felt wrong though, security should have been tighter according to Amelia and Kristine, but so far it had been too easy.

Chloe kicked in the glass doors and pulled Max into the house, who then rewound until the door was repaired. Small tricks of her new breaking and entering trade.

"Let's find the office." Chloe whispered, keeping hold of Max's hand as they carefully crept through the manors interior.

"She said it was in the east wing." Max said quietly.

"Which way's east?" Chloe smirked.

"Which way's the bay?" Max grinned, nudging Chloe in the side.

"This way." Chloe continued pulling Max, who accepted the guidance from her partner.

Deeper into the manor they went, quietly sneaking through the east wing towards the place they believed held the evidence they needed for Kristine. Max was becoming more confident, pulling Chloe towards the doors at the end of the hallway. She wanted this to be over, to finally be able to have a life with Chloe that wouldn't include all the sneaking around and killing she'd become too used to.

"Here we go." Max smirked, pushing open the doors.

"Fuck..." Chloe muttered as a woman stood up from behind the desk in the centre of the room, a regal look to her features. Max squeezed Chloe's hands, opened her mouth to tell her to timestep, but the woman spoke, and the words she said froze Max in place.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you Max. Your mother has told me so much about you."


	25. Absolution

Max was frozen to the spot panic creeping through her insides. _Do they have my parents? Where are they? What have they done?_ She knew she should freeze time and allow Chloe to pull them away from here. To go back to the beginning and wait to do this another day. But the woman before them looked so confident, so assured and unafraid. The doors behind Chloe and Max opened, two men in full tactical gear aimed weapons at them.

"Weapons down." The woman said, waving her hands at the men. "I think Max would like to talk." The men lowered their weapons without question.

Max looked at Chloe, who seemed to be able to read Max's mind when she nodded. "Who are you?" Max asked.

"Please, be seated. You are my guests." The woman said, indicating the two seats on the other side of the empty desk.

Chloe kept a hold of Max's hand as they walked further into the room, carefully sitting in the offered chairs. "Where's Prescott?" Chloe demanded.

"Mr Prescott has been... relieved of his position." The woman said, sitting in her chair and hanging her arms over the edge of the arms, relaxed yet regal. It made Max's skin crawl to see somebody so laid back when Max could disarm her guards and kill them all without wasting energy. "He'd been an excellent asset in rebuilding Blackwell and providing us access to it, but after attempting to manipulate his position with me, attempting to murder you, failing to look after you... I grew tired of his inadequacy."

"So he's dead?" Max asked, reading between the lines.

"Yes, he is dead." The woman allowed a small smile to cross her lips. "Vanessa always said you were smart, she was so worried about sending you back here."

"Where's my Mom?" Max demanded, Chloe's grip on her hand tightened, refusing to let go.

"She's in Seattle Max. I wouldn't do anything to risk your relationship with me."

"What about Sera? And her daughter?" Chloe asked.

"That was an... error in judgement. I would apologise to Miss Amber were she here, but it seems your triad is at an end? Or is she waiting for you to meet her somewhere?" The woman looked between the two of them, her steel grey eyes felt like they were examining them.

"She's safe." Chloe said. "We're not about to tell you where."

"I would not expect you to, nor will I ask." The woman looked past Max. "Becker, bring us some drinks and snacks please."

"Yes ma'am." The man answered.

"Becker's here?!" Max said, turning in her chair to see the receding back of one of the men.

"He won't hurt you Max. I am very sorry for your experiences with him, it's not been a good year has it?" The woman said sadly.

"He made me kill Chloe." Max looked back at the woman, ready to end this little conversation.

"You appear to have fixed that." The woman said, indicating the blue haired punk sat beside Max. "I really should have handled these events myself, and I cannot apologise enough for the poor handling of Sean Prescott and his psychotic family."

"How do you know Vanessa?" Chloe asked.

"That is a long story." The woman answered.

"Then start at the beginning." Max said.

"First... introductions." The woman smiled as Becker returned with two servants, who placed trays of food and drinks on the desk before them. "I know who you both are. Maxine Caulfield, originally of Arcadia Bay, moved to Seattle at the age of thirteen, moved back at the age of seventeen. You had your birthday while at Blackwell but never invited Chloe?" The woman shook her head sadly. "No matter. Chloe Elizabeth Price, of Arcadia Bay..."

"Shithole." Chloe interrupted.

"Quite..." The woman smirked. "Lost your father at the age of fourteen, your friend moved to Seattle that same year, you made friends with Rachel Amber two years after that and then she _died_ just before her nineteenth birthday. That death didn't stick."

"We know who we are, who are you?" Chloe said, refusing the drink from one of the servants who soon left the office, along with Becker who Max had been tempted to freeze time just to shoot in the head again.

"You may call me the Chairwoman. I am the leader of the Council who has been pursuing you, and I know your mother because she is... family." The woman said cryptically. "I'm assuming you already know what we're looking for?"

"Essence." Max answered. "You're testing kids for it at Blackwell."

"Going to be, yes. Non-invasive observations to try to understand it further." The woman picked up one of the glasses of juice and took a small drink. "None of it's poisoned, I can assure you." She smiled, but neither Max or Chloe made any inclination to reach for it. "A few years ago we managed to track down an elderly woman, she had lived a comfortable life but we'd heard about her incredible ability to predict the future. We look into these events even if they're nothing at all. But this one... was interesting. Our agent arrived and was cryptically told 'The next location for the thing you seek is in Arcadia Bay.' As soon as those words were relayed back to me, I made contact with Prescott."

"Why?" Max asked.

"Without a time table I had to move quickly. Normally we would take control of vital interests in an area and take control in our own time. We couldn't wait and the largest person with influence was..."

"Prescott." Chloe finished, shaking her head.

"Correct, Miss Price. So we used him for his influence and began increasing our ability to investigate for essence. It was at this time I told Vanessa to relocate her family to Seattle, and I provided a job for her husband. We were trying to keep you safe Max. I assumed if you weren't in Arcadia Bay, it wouldn't be you."

"How did you get that wrong?" Max asked.

"I'll get to that soon." The woman said sadly. "After the strange forest fire..." She looked at Chloe knowingly. "We sent an asset who had managed to establish some... shakey means to find what we were looking for."

"Jefferson." Max said. "You sent Mark Jefferson to Arcadia Bay."

"We did. With the latitude and resources to get results. We did not anticipate the situation with Nathan Prescott, and when Rachel Amber died because of his actions and we received her essence score... I panicked. I believed they may have killed the person we were looking for. With this knowledge though we believed your returning to Arcadia Bay was of no concern." The woman said, looking at Max. "We had no idea you would be the one with gifts."

Chloe remained silent as she looked at Max, a strange, beautiful look in her eyes.

"We only learned of your gift when Prescott finally informed us, after he'd used you for his own gains. Look where that got him." The woman smirked. "Unfortunately it was too late and you were gone again."

"So all this time you've been chasing me and Rachel... because?" Max asked.

"Prescott was an idiot. He believed we would capture the gifted person then torture and abuse them to find out what made them tick. That's... counter-productive. It's not what we do. We want the gifted people of the world to work with us, to help improve the everyday lives of other people." The Chairwoman said. "Imagine with your powers, you could stop a terrorist attack, or a bank robbery, or undo lives lost in a natural disaster like the one in Arcadia Bay." Max looked at Chloe who smirked and shook her head. "Imagine somebody with a gift who could walk through a fire and put it out, or a tracker who could find a terrorist in their hole. We are trying to help the world by understanding these powers."

Max's phone vibrated in her pocket and she could finally allow the facade to break. She started laughing, and Chloe knew the joke.

"Max! You ruined it!" Chloe chuckled.

"What's so funny?" The chairwoman asked.

"This is... actually the second time we've had this whole conversation now." Max laughed. Becker came running into the room, his hand clasped around a phone, panic apparent on his rough face.

"What's happened?" The Chairwoman demanded.

"FBI are raiding the lab and Blackwell Academy. There's also been a shooting at the Gearhardt house, no contact with either of our teams." Becker said.

"What the fuck did you do?" The Chairwoman demanded angrily.

"We already saw the information you have on the gifted people, the essence transfer programme, all of it." Chloe said. Max kept a tight grip on her partner's hand as they both stood up.

"You gave us all the time in the world to look through this place after this conversation, when I agreed with hand on heart that I would join you." Max continued, a smirk on her lips. "Family? We're not family. You may be a distant fucking relative who's been sucking the life blood out of people with your own gifts, but you're not my family."

"You little shit..." The woman said. "Becker..."

"Touch either of us and I'll kill you again." Max said, turning on the larger man. "I kneecapped you once, want me to do it again?" The man appeared to back off.

"Here's a piece of advice..." Chloe smirked, pulling Max gently away from Becker. "Don't do the cliché bad guy shit of giving away your plans... especially to..."

"A time traveler." Max finished. "The first time? I actually listened to your bullshit."

"But... I just love to be the anarchist." Chloe shrugged as sirens could be heard outside.

"Max! You could be so much more than this! We can give you a future, everything you could ever want. Please, work with me." The Chairwoman pleaded, causing Max to laugh again.

"You said that last time too, only you weren't panicking then." Max stared at the woman, glad to see her regal appearance was replaced by worry. "You take people and use them for your own survival. You just wanted to make life easier for yourself."

"I will kill you for this Maxine, and your girlfriend here." The woman said angrily.

"No... you won't." Max smiled, freezing time with her loving partner beside her.

"Kill... or let the feds handle them?" Chloe asked, looking between Becker and the Chairwoman. Max couldn't help but laugh at the look of outrage on the woman's face, it had been worth the pressure to act and try to feel the same way as they broke in for the second time.

"We're done killing babe." Max said, gently caressing the punk's cheek with her hand. "Take me..."

"Home." Chloe smirked. She closed her eyes as if preparing to make the jump, then opened them again just as quickly, a playful grin on her beautiful face. "Is this the part where I get to rip off your clothes?"

"Perv." Max said as she felt Chloe's timestep activate.

* * *

 

They collapsed on their bed in a fit of giggles, Max landing on top of her darling partner who had been the one to come up with the daring plan, who had talked her around from making the biggest mistake of her life. She'd wanted to help those people, just like the Chairwoman had been trying to persuade her to do, but after snooping through the Prescott estate for information at Chloe's insistence she had changed her mind and photographed everything of importance. Max had wanted to end the problem then and there, but after a rushed conversation with Kristine she had agreed to the new plan. Chloe timestepped them home, Max rewound time, and then called Kristine again.

They then spent the next two days at home, going over their entire night to ensure they acted and behaved in a similar fashion, from Rachel dropping them off to how they broke into the manor. While they kept the Chairwoman busy in conversation the FBI had managed to raid both the lab and Blackwell Academy, as well as rescue Sera. They had no idea how any of these things went, nor what happened at the Prescott estate once they left, but Max felt a relief like she'd never felt before in her life.

"You almost blew it you know." Max teased, lacing her fingers between Chloe's.

"I did not!" The girl retorted.

"You did, with that goofy little look." Max said.

"Oh come on! I was finding it so hard to keep it up! I was just waiting for the phone to ring..."

"You're back then." Rachel said, opening the door to their bedroom, her arms crossed. "You don't come running out to tell me it all went okay, no... you're already on your back trying to get laid." The girl said, sounding and looking serious.

"Stop acting and get over here." Max said, grinning at the underlying happiness the blonde was trying to hide from her.

Rachel's face broke into a smile and she jumped onto the bed with them, kissing both Max and Chloe on the cheeks. "Well fucking done, both of you!" She laughed.

"It was all my sidekick." Max grinned, flicking Chloe's blue hair out of her eyes. "She kept me on the right path."

"You were never tempted Max, you just didn't know what other choices you had." Chloe replied, looking up at Max with her knowing smile.

"And thanks to you... I didn't make a terrible mistake." Max leaned in and kissed her sweetly. "So thank you babe."

"They were just trying to play you Max." Rachel said, rubbing the brunettes back.

"Well... they got played instead." Max smirked.

"Have you heard from your Mom yet?" Chloe asked.

"Not yet, we'll probably hear more in the morning..." Rachel answered quietly, Max could feel how nervous she still was, despite their happiness.

"Let's... chill out in the dining room on Rach's bed? Watch some tv? Look out for any... official looking people?" Max said, looking at her partner.

"Good plan." Chloe nodded.

"I know... but you must be all planned out." Max giggled, getting off her partner.

"Me? I always have a plan." Chloe responded as Max helped her up off the bed. Rachel was already leaving the bedroom, shaking her head at their displays of affection.

"And which plan are you on right now?" Max asked, gently guiding the punk towards the dining area.

"The... show Max a good time plan?" Chloe smirked, a teasing glint in her blue eyes.

"Later..." Max smirked.

"What we watching then?" Rachel said, lying back on her bed.

"Anything." Chloe answered as Max climbed onto the bed, followed by the punk. She was once again sandwiched between the two girls, but after the night she'd had she didn't care. She was riding high on the adrenaline and euphoria.

"Anything huh?" Rachel said. "Intending to do any watching?"

"A little bit." Max answered, snuggling into Chloe closely.

They all lay in bed together until the early hours of the morning, Chloe had fallen asleep almost an hour ago but Max and Rachel remained awake and alert, waiting for any news of the blonde's family. When they heard a knock on the door Rachel was the first out of bed, flinging the door open to the person out. It was Amelia, who looked happier than they'd seen her in a long time.

"We got them out." She said happily. Rachel launched herself into Amelia's arms as the woman stepped into their home, wrapping her in a hug. "Whoa... calm down... it wasn't me." She laughed.

"Everybody safe?" Max asked as she felt Chloe's arms slip around her waist from behind and hold her tight.

"All safe. You... did really good Max." Amelia said, nodding.

"What about the Chairwoman? Becker?" Chloe said, kissing the back of Max's head as they lay in bed.

"Detained for further questioning, but you provided enough evidence... which the feds don't want to ask you about."

"Why not?" Rachel asked.

"We decided to say I was the source, I did work for Prescott after all." Amelia smiled. "I wanted to keep your names, and powers, out of it."

"Why?" Max asked.

"Because you deserve as normal a life as you're going to get. You're still not nineteen and you've dealt with all this shit... go and live Max." Amelia said.

"Where's my Mom and sister now?" Rachel said, finally releasing Amelia from the hug. Max couldn't help but smile at how happy Rachel looked.

"Being debriefed. Kristine and I will collect them in a little while and bring them to you?"

"Take them to the lighthouse, please?" Rachel asked. "I'd... like it to be a bit more neutral."

"We can do that." Amelia smiled. "See you soon."

* * *

 

A few hours later Max and Chloe were sat on the hood of their car near to the lighthouse, looking up at the midday sky, waiting for Amelia to return with Rachel's family. Rachel was sat in the passenger seat, her laptop on her knees but her nerves were a tickle against the back of Max's mind. Rachel had already reorganised their funds, buying a house in LA for her family, as well as what they could use to continue her investments.

"Where to from here?" Chloe said, playing with Max's sapphire ring once more.

"We should ask Rach." Max answered, looking around at the furrowed brow of the blonde.

"She's got to settle down, look after her Mom and sister properly." Chloe said sadly. Max didn't need a tether with her partner to know she was going to miss the blonde in their lives constantly.

"Yeah, I do." Rachel said, closing the passenger door and sitting on the hood of the car beside Max. "They deserve better lives after all this shit, which is something I hope we can provide."

"We?" Max said, looking sideways at the blonde.

"I bought a four bedroom property in LA. Loads of privacy, loads of space." Rachel explained. "So when you two aren't rolling around the country... you have a real home too."

"You sure Rach?" Chloe asked.

"You're my family too, right?" Rachel asked with a weak smile.

"Of course we are." Max answered, taking hold of Rachel's hand who smiled at the contact.

"Then you need a home. It's something I can provide while you two... do whatever you want to do." The blonde said, squeezing Max's hand gently. "But... I'd like the company of my two best friends when you can make it."

"We... don't really know where to go yet after this." Chloe said with a shrug. "Right now... I feel a little lost, like just after the storm."

"I could go back to school..." Max smirked. "Get back to looking at the world through a lense."

"I don't think you'd get out much, not with Chloe." Rachel laughed.

"Oh Max can do whatever she wants, I'll support her all the way." Chloe said, kissing Max on the side of the head.

"All the way back to the bedroom." Rachel grinned. "I know your tricks Chloe... after all this, after both of you dying... I doubt you'd surface for air if you didn't need to eat."

"That's a plan!" Chloe said, grinning at Max happily. "Can we do it? As many months in bed as it takes?"

"Oh thanks Rach... way to give her an idea." Max laughed.

"You'll babysit though, right?" Rachel asked.

"Are you paying us?" Chloe wrapped her arm around Max's neck and pulled her into a gentle hug.

"With food, and a bedroom." Rachel nodded.

"Okay, good deal."

"I'm going to miss this." Max said. "Traveling around with both of you."

"We've had some good times." Rachel nodded. "And some pretty awful ones."

"At least... we have the memories, right?" Chloe asked.

"Good ones too." Rachel smiled, a mischeivous glint in her eyes. "We're still young... more to come right?" She winked at Max who blushed and laughed. "I won't have to stay in LA all the time... I just want to make sure my family are safe before I go running off again."

A black limo pulled into the parking area, causing the three girls to look up at the approaching vehicle. Kristine stepped out of the rear passenger door, followed by a blonde haired woman and a small girl who only looked to be about three years old. Rachel got off their car and slowly approached her family while Max and Chloe looked on. Sera had picked up her smallest daughter and was looking over Rachel's face, then suddenly embracing the blonde in a hug.

"You know... we can't fit five people in our car." Chloe whispered to Max. "How about we... shoot off home? Tell Rachel to take the car down to LA and we'll meet her there?"

"Are you thinking a... really long road trip?" Max asked, grinning at her partner.

"Maybe take the long way... through Vegas?"

"To get married? Or are you wanting to... relive a memory?"

"We're not getting married in Vegas. We'll get married with our friends and family." Chloe grinned.

"Except some of my family, she isn't invited." Max said, hinting at the Chairwoman.

"Of course not... she'd be trying to suck blood." Chloe laughed.

Rachel was slowly walking back towards them with her sister and Mom. Kristine waved to Max from the limo, so she waved back politely.

"Max, this is my mom, Sera." Rachel said. "Sera, my best friend Max."

"Nice to meet you." Max waved shyly.

"And you." Sera smiled.

"You already know Chloe." Rachel grinned.

"Yeah, we've met." Chloe smiled weakly.

"We have." Sera nodded. "This one is stubborn."

"Oh I know, she's been my best friend for four years now." Rachel laughed. "Max, Chloe, this is my little sister... Lucy."

"Hi Lucy." Max said, waving to the little girl in Sera's arms, who quickly turned her head away from the two girls.

"She's shy." Sera smiled. "Just like Rachel used to be."

"And look at me now..." Rachel grinned.

"Are you sure you're okay with... everything?" Sera said, talking quietly to Rachel. "I had a home, I was getting by."

"You're my Mom, and I've already cleared everything with Max and Chloe. I want to get to know my family... especially as... Dad's gone." Rachel explained. "If it doesn't work, we'll think of something."

"Only if you're sure Rachel, I don't want to you to feel pressured..." Sera said, causing Chloe to stifle a laugh.

"Sorry, but... you can never get Rachel to do anything she doesn't want to. I'd know." Chloe smiled.

"Like you then?" Max asked, nudging her partner in the side.

"It'll be fine." Rachel said, grinning happily. "I... always wanted to meet you, to get to know you... this is the best chance we've had in years."

"Alright." Sera smiled. "For you, Rachel."

"Thank you!" Rachel hugged her Mom and sister again.

"So... how are we getting to your home?" Sera said, looking at the car Max and Chloe were still sat on.

"We're going to take our bus..." Chloe said. "So... you three can take the car and we'll... meet you there?"

"But how are you getting back to your bus?" Sera asked.

"We'll find a way." Max grinned, pulling Chloe off the car. "We're going up to the lighthouse before we leave Rach... wanna join us?"

"Yeah, I'll be back in a second." Rachel said to her Mom. "I promise." She smiled.

Max and Chloe led the way up to the lighthouse, listening to the bird song in the trees. It had almost been twelve months since they'd last visited this spot, the lighthouse had been repaired and a new bench had been placed where the old one had been crushed. Max looked out on the calm bay, memories of the tornado flickering at the edges of her mind.

"Chloe's revenge." Max muttered, remembering the devastation.

"Always said I wanted to turn this place to glass." Chloe said, wrapping her arms around Max from behind so they could both look out onto the bay.

"And glass it you did." Rachel said, sitting on the bench and looking at the bay. "I can't wait to leave already."

"Me too." Chloe said.

"Me three." Max added, receiving a shocked glance from Rachel. "I have awesome memories here, like kissing Chloe for the first time, but I have better memories elsewhere." She smiled.

"Like Vegas." Chloe kissed the back of Max's head.

"Or our bus." Rachel added, making Chloe snigger.

Max laughed at the two girls in her life. "You're both pervs."

"So... you're taking the long way home huh?" Rachel asked with a knowing look.

"We'll take a while to get to LA, call you when we get there." Chloe answered. "It'll give you time to settle in."

"Good idea. I'll make sure you both get the biggest room, of course." Rachel smirked.

"Do you want to get your stuff from the bus before we part ways?" Max asked.

"No. I'll see it again soon enough." Rachel laughed, standing up in front of Max and Chloe. "I'd better get going. It's a long drive down to LA."

Max gently pulled the blonde into a hug and kissed her cheek affectionately. "We won't be too long, and I'll keep the connecton open." She felt Chloe's hands moving to hold Rachel as well, crushing Max between the two of them.

"Missing you already." Rachel said quietly, returning the kiss on Max's cheek.

"We'll miss you too." Chloe said, kissing Rachel's forehead over Max's shoulder.

As Rachel left their embrace Max turned into her partner's arms, wrapping her own hands around the back of Chloe's neck. They stood together in front of the lighthouse, their eyes locked on one anothers with no time for anything else in the world. Max rose onto her tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on Chloe's lips, freezing time as she did so. The blunette took the hint, kissing Max back as she used her half of their powers to timestep them home.

* * *

 

The first thing Max did when they returned to the battlebus was try to get a shower. After two days of planning the downfall of the Chairwoman and her nefarious schemes she felt dirty, almost sick at the thought of what she had almost agreed to. She grabbed a towel from one of the wardrobes and stripped down to her underwear under the gaze of her partner, then left the blunette alone in the bedroom. Without the presence of Rachel the bus felt slightly larger, they had more space to themselves, but it also felt emptier already. Max slipped into the bathroom and flicked on the shower, placing her hand under the running water as she waited for it to reach the correct temperature.

When the water was warm enough she stripped out of her underwear and stepped under the water, leaving the door to the cubicle open to give herself a little more space. She could almost feel the weight of the last few days falling from her shoulders, all the stress and fears were being washed away with the dirt from her hair and skin. With nothing to think about, no pressing matters to concern her, she finally managed to lose herself in the silence of her mind, happily humming to herself. She was about to wash her hair when she felt the press of hands against her back and she smirked.

"What kept you?" She whispered, turning into the loving embrace of her fiancée.

Chloe smiled and kissed her very softly, just enough pressure to tease Max. "I was torn." The punk admitted.

"Between what?" Max asked, her hands slowly exploring Chloe's body once more.

"Surprising you in the shower... or surprising you in bed." Chloe whispered into her ear, her hands under Max's bottom so she could lift the girl up a little higher.

Max wrapped her legs around the blunette and felt her back press against the shower wall, their lips still not touching. "Why not both?" She smirked. "We have all the time in the world now."

"I want to ask you something as well... before I rock your world again." Chloe grinned, touching her nose to Max's.

"Ask me anything."

"Who's name are we taking when we get married?"

"Yours." Max answered, running her hands up Chloe's back to her wet blue hair. "I want your name."

"Good answer." Chloe smiled, gently pressing her lips to Max's.

They broke their kiss and looked into each others eyes for a moment, smiles playing across their lips. "I love you." They both said at the same time.


	26. Developer's Commentary (Author Notes, Notable Mentions, Final words)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've left behind a few notes along the way, and felt I should at least close out the story with a bit more than a thank you.

Five weeks ago on 7th December 2017, I started this fic because I was waiting for the end of Before the Storm. I was already writing Shattering Timelines but as I didn't know how BtS would end, I needed to leave it so my story still lined up with it, as much as possible. So I started fiddling with some ideas and this one is what stuck. Over the last few weeks my mind has been twisting and turning as the story unfolded, a new idea would come to me and I'd see if it fit and if it did I'd run with it, if it didn't I'd discard it. The idea of the three girls at the lighthouse together was in my mind from the very beginning, but it looked very different to how it turned out in the end. In truth? I like how the story has ended, not because it became all about the action, but because Max and Chloe learned how to manipulate time with the nudge rather than with brute force. What better way to play a player, than to play them back? Let me know what you think!

 

As for their powers. I kept saying Max's abilities went deeper, and I still believe they do. Chloe tapping into the Timestep was something I hadn't completely considered at first. I wanted to give her something, but only so she could use it with Max. I went through a number of ideas, portals being one which is why it ended up as a joke. In the end, tying her to Max felt like it tied them together more than they already were. The Timestep became a useful addition at the end as well. What would Max have done without it? Froze time and walked out the door anyway. This just made it cooler!

 

The Chairwoman evolved over time too, from a synthetic voice to a fully fledged person. Max and Chloe hint at what could be considered the Chairwoman's 'gift' as well as her connection to Max. I've left this mysteriously open for a reason. Too many answers spoils the surprise, and I'd already strayed into the realm of 'Bad guy tells all' cliche, something Chloe beautifully points out and even hits me over the head with. That girl is definitely an Anarchist!

 

I'd actually like to thank a few people:

Jossi55 has been a brilliant sounding board, they're a Pricefielder and proud of it! They stuck through my explorative moments with the girls, they told me their concerns but they stuck with it til the end and for that I am extremely grateful!

My proof reader, who is also a Pricefielder and proud of it! They've read every single chapter from rough hash, through multiple endings and even through scenes they didn't particular approve of until they read them. They've picked up on many of my normal errors, "it's" and "its" being my main culprit. Sometimes I type too fast for my fingers to keep up.

Arackanox for inspiring me to keep going. You will not believe how often I cheered when I had another comment, and cheered again when I read what you had to say. There's nothing better than getting good constructive feedback!

NyctophiliaChimerical for kind words and also inspiring me to keep pushing on and on! I'd never have reached this stage if it wasn't for those commenting!

Anon*_* for the kind words during a rough time. Thank you for what you said, and thank you again for sticking with the story til the end.

Lastly - I'd like to thank EVERYBODY who has been reading this, the silent observers to the vocal few. If your name isn't up there it's not because I love you less! You've been wonderful and I thank you for your time and patience!

 

But this is now the end. Tempus Contritum is complete. Their adventure is over and I hope I've tied it off well enough for you all to enjoy it. Any questions please feel free to ask.

Thanks for your time and patience.

UnhallowedDei


End file.
